Just as no spice cabinet should be without black pepper, no indoor plant collection should be without Peperomia.
When you consider the cultural requirements of black pepper (Piper nigrum) and Peperomia — the former demanding constant elevated humidity and the latter tolerating drought — you would probably conclude that they could not possibly be botanical kin, and yet they are. The genera of Piper and Peperomia are the largest in the pepper family (Piperaceae), with Piper including over 2,100 species and Peperomia including more than 1,000.
Before we go any further, let’s make sure not to make the mistake of thinking that bell and chili peppers belong to the pepper family. They are members of the nightshade family (Solanaceae), which includes tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, too. The one common attribute of black pepper and chili pepper concerns their bioactive alkaloids, piperine in the case of black pepper and capsaicin — a constituent of chili powder and cayenne pepper — in the case of chili peppers. These alkaloids are responsible for the sharp flavor imparted by black and chili peppers and serve a variety of medicinal purposes, especially due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Finally, the Peruvian pepper tree (Schinus molle) and the Brazilian pepper tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), although they do produce edible peppercorns, belong to the cashew family (Anacardiaceae), which includes cashew, mango, and pistachio trees, as well as sumac, poison ivy, and poison oak.
Black pepper can be planted from seeds but you will need to wait up to five years to see the fruit or berry, which consists of a large seed, the peppercorn, surrounded by a thin layer of pulp. Black pepper is made from entire unripe mostly green but slightly red berries that have been dried with their pulp and skin intact. White pepper, on the other hand, is made from ripe red fruits whose pulp has been removed so that the seed alone is utilized. Leaving the pulp and skin in place give black peppercorns their pungency as opposed to white pepper, whose surrounding pulp and skins have been removed, imparting a milder flavor to this spice.
In both cases, however, it is advisable to grind the peppercorns just before use to maximize their flavor. Peppercorns can be stored for up to four years without losing their zing, whereas once they are ground, their pungency begins to weaken.
By the way, if you are wondering what the difference is between herbs and spices, the former comes from leaves and the latter are derived from flowers, fruits/berries, stems, or roots. Spices are typically sharper in flavor than herbs due to the essential oils in the former. Another difference is that herbs can be used either fresh or dry, whole or chopped, whereas spices are invariably dried and then ground or crushed prior to use.
Native to the Malabar coast of India and Sri Lanka, black pepper is a vine that grows up to 40 feet tall and lives for three decades. However, it can be kept smaller through pruning and, in the tropics, is sometimes grown under coffee trees in Africa and under tea trees in Sri Lanka. As a vine, it will need trellis support unless you grow it in a hanging basket, whereupon it will trail over the sides. Grown outdoors, black pepper plants require half-day sun but temperatures below 55 degrees will put them under stress and a single frosty night will kill them so indoor growing in our part of the world is advised. Kept in its container, you can take your pepper vine outside during the summer but be aware that most of its life will be spent indoors. To create a suitable indoor environment, however, constant use of a humidifier will be necessary since relative humidity around the plant must be at least 50% at all times and the relative humidity in our residences fluctuates between 30 and 50%. You can procure both seeds and plants from online vendors, keeping in mind that well-rooted established plants, even when small in size, will produce peppercorns more quickly than those you germinate from seeds.
If you are wondering by now if the name Peperomia has anything to do with the tropical pepper plant, you would be correct. Peperomia was named by two Spanish botanists who traveled in Peru and Chile in the late 18th century. It is important to remember that plants are classified by their flowers since looking at the foliage of Peperomia, which is fleshy or succulent, generally roundish, and small in size, would hardly remind you of the tropical pepper vine, whose foliage is thin, heart-shaped, and much larger. The flowers of both, however, do resemble each other. They open up all along a spike-like protuberance known as a spadix, a structure common to many tropical plants, including peace lily (Spathiphyllum), calla lily (Zantedeschia), flamingo flower (Anthurium), and every sort of Philodendron. Just to close the matter of how flowers determine botanical kinship, you may find two plants with almost identical foliage that are not even distantly related due to the radical difference between their flowers.
Peperomia is derived from two Greek words, peperi (pepper) and homoios (resembling). The ancient Greeks, who valued black pepper in their dishes, had taken peperi from the Sanskrit pippali. Peperomia, like Petunia and Begonia, is usually called by its botanical name, although the moniker of radiator plant is sometimes used. This name refers to its ability to be placed above a radiator and withstand the intense heat emanating from there, a kind of heat which is anathema to most houseplants.
There are at least 50 different species of Peperomia in the nursery trade. Their leaves may be found in different colors, including burgundy, gunmetal blue and a number of stunning variegated types such as Watermelon, with green and white stripes resembling those on a watermelon rind and Peperomia clusiifolia Tricolor with cream and lime green leaves surrounded by irregular reddish pink margins. I have on my windowsill, facing north, a Peperomia graveolens Ruby Glow that shows off gravy boat-shaped foliage edged in ruby red. I have marveled at the development of its dainty spadix, resembling a mouse’s tail, that is now over five inches long and is covered with hundreds of minuscule flowers.
The species name of my Peperomia is graveolens, meaning “foul odor” and I do inhale an unpleasant scent when I put my nose next to the flower spike. It reminds me of the scent coming from an herb with the same species name known as rue (Ruta graveolens). This is a species with distinct visual appeal possessing softly lobed blue-green foliage and yellow flowers. Its leaves release a malodorous smell when trod upon and so served as a strewing herb. Generally speaking, strewing herbs were strewn over the floors of houses, especially in England, during the Middle Ages. People did not bathe much in those days and by placing leaves that released pleased smells when walking upon, unpleasant human odors could be disguised. But even foul-smelling herbs had their purpose since they were utilized to keep away pests. Rue was considered the most malodorous of all herbs, was even thought to keep away evil spirits, and was thus spread on church floors. You may find rue in the herb section of your local nursery and it is widely available through online vendors as well.
California native of the week: If you could plant nothing but native monkey flowers, you would have a garden full of kaleidoscopic color all spring and summer long. Red, yellow, orange, pink, magenta, violet, white, and combinations of all of the above would be abundantly on display. Some monkey flowers are annuals (Mimulus species) and some are perennials (Diplacus species). California native monkey flowers belong to both groups, but the perennial types are far more rewarding for three reasons: quantity of blooms, longevity in the garden, and drought tolerance. One such perennial is the sticky monkey flower (Diplacus aurantiacus), with representatives flowering in red, maroon, orange, and peach. Scarlet monkey flower (Diplacus puniceus) is also noteworthy. There are a number of perennial monkey flowers with apricot-salmon colored blooms, including the locally seen Agoura spunky monkey flower (Diplacus longiflorus), as well as its yellow cousin. As for monkey flower annuals, the native butter yellow monkey flower (Mimulus guttatus) with bright green foliage is a happy selection, although it only appears after wet winters such as we experienced this year. Hybrid annual monkey flowers, although somewhat thirsty and, come summer, desirous of partial shade, are stunningly colorful, appearing in violet, orange, yellow, pink, and red.
You are invited to document your success at growing Peperomia in an email sent to joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions and comments regarding any plant or gardening topic. as well as any gardening problems or gardening tips you would like to share, are always welcome.
Related Articles
Drought-tolerant, virtually unkillable plants and more for the garden this week
California’s honeybee swarming season is starting up
Why April is the month for gardeners to start planting
How to make your garden more attractive for hummingbirds
3 self-sowing succulents no garden should be without