Black Pepper Plant with Peppercorns on the Vine (Piper nigrum)

The Black Pepper of commerce, this South Asian tropical vine produces chains of small round fruit. By picking the time of harvest and the method of processing, all four types of peppercorns (black, white, green and red) can be harvested from the same plant. Black peppercorns are harvested when the seeds are nearly ripe and then dried at room temperature. Plants require high temperature and optimum light for fruiting. Piper nigrum blooms freely through the summer months and fruits ripening the following year. This Black Pepper plant has peppercorns on the vine ready to grind into fresh, aromatic pepper!