Pepper

Pepper

Pepper (Piper) is a perennial in the pepper family of nearly 700 varieties. It requires specific growing conditions like very humid air, high temperature, so we will meet it in equatorial and tropical climates. Pepper is not found in Europe. For centuries it has been a valued plant for its medicinal properties and, above all, for its taste values - pepper reigns in the kitchen, it has a pungent, intense aroma, without which most of us can not imagine dishes. Since recently, we have also appreciated its aesthetic qualities, which is why dried decorative pepper has taken the florist's and handicraft studios by storm. More and more often we can meet pepper in garlands, dry bouquets or simply solo in a glass vase, where it looks simply stunning.

Pepper - appearance and characteristics of the plant

Pepper has the form of a vine with a woody lower part. It grows up to 15m and has numerous aerial roots that help it take root in the ground. It bears fruit from the second year of cultivation and for another 40 years. The leaves have a leathery, dark green hue and are egg-shaped with a sharp tip. Small, stalkless flowers without perianth are gathered in spike-like inflorescences 8-10cm long. The flowers are small, with a celadon-white color. Pepper is a drupe that changes its color as it grows starting from green, through red, ending with black. Fruits are spherical in form, about 0.5cm in diameter, gathered in fruiting bodies of 20-30pcs. Remember that green pepper, white pepper, black pepper are not different varieties of pepper - they come from the same plant, they differ in the way the berry is processed. Red pepper is the most mature form of the plant, rarely found in commerce, used mainly in floristry for its aesthetic value.