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Everything Else => Tropical Vegetables and Other Edibles => Topic started by: TNAndy on April 17, 2020, 07:58:55 PM

Title: Piper nigrum? But no peppercorns?
Post by: TNAndy on April 17, 2020, 07:58:55 PM
I have a plant that was sold to me as Black Pepper (Piper nigrum).  There are lots and lots of flowers, but none of the flower spikes has ever grown a peppercorn.  They start off green, turn yellow and shed lots of pollen, then turn brown and fall off.  I've had it for about 3 years.  It's growing in an 18 inch square, 12 inch high planter.  I keep it in my heated sunroom over the winter.  I'm giving it partial shade.
(https://i.postimg.cc/VdWfjDsF/piper-nigrum-flowers1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/VdWfjDsF)

(https://i.postimg.cc/6yJV75Tv/piper-nigrum-flowers2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/6yJV75Tv)

(https://i.postimg.cc/XZRq2qRK/piper-nigrum-flowers3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XZRq2qRK)

If you are familiar with Piper nigrum, can you verify that is what this is?  I'm pretty sure this is something in the Piper genus, but I'm beginning to doubt it's nigrum.

If you grow Piper nigrum, can you suggest what I might need to do to get peppercorns?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Piper nigrum? But no peppercorns?
Post by: polux on April 20, 2020, 02:55:23 PM
In fact it is not the Piper nigrum. These plants are frequently sold across whole EU as true P. nigrum, but it is probably P. kadsura easier for indoor growing but only as a decorative plant. True peppercorn has different leaves and you must get the clonal variety which develop the fruits without polination, otherwise you will need female and male plants for succesfull fruiting. Many other species of wild peppers are dioecious (P. cubeba, guineense, retrofractum, longum etc.)
Title: Re: Piper nigrum? But no peppercorns?
Post by: TNAndy on April 22, 2020, 04:45:55 PM
In fact it is not the Piper nigrum. These plants are frequently sold across whole EU as true P. nigrum, but it is probably P. kadsura easier for indoor growing but only as a decorative plant. True peppercorn has different leaves and you must get the clonal variety which develop the fruits without polination, otherwise you will need female and male plants for succesfull fruiting. Many other species of wild peppers are dioecious (P. cubeba, guineense, retrofractum, longum etc.)

Thanks.  So you're pretty sure this isn't simply a male and if I had a female I might get peppercorns?

Do you have a picture of the leaves of a known P. nigrum?
Title: Re: Piper nigrum? But no peppercorns?
Post by: polux on April 23, 2020, 02:48:01 PM
Yes, leaves of true P. nigrum looks different. I can take pictures of both. Today I notice some spontaneous germinating seeds from last year crop.
Title: Re: Piper nigrum? But no peppercorns?
Post by: roblack on May 11, 2020, 11:32:13 PM
piper nigrum

(https://i.postimg.cc/pps8hh6J/pipernigrum52020a.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/pps8hh6J)

(https://i.postimg.cc/21JZTpmq/pipernigrum52020b.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/21JZTpmq)
Title: Re: Piper nigrum? But no peppercorns?
Post by: TNAndy on August 11, 2020, 04:29:21 PM
Are Piper nigrum plants strictly dioecious?  In other words, are there males (only produce pollen), females (no pollen but bear seeds), and no self-fertile plants?

Clearly the Piper kadsura I have is a male (only) since it produces worlds of pollen but I've never seen a seed.

Thanks for the images.

Title: Re: Piper nigrum? But no peppercorns?
Post by: polux on August 11, 2020, 05:32:18 PM
Thanks roblack, those are true black pepper leafs.  My plant is monoecious because it is plantation variety. But seedlings from their fruits can be both - monoecious or dioecious. Better is propagation by cuttings.
Title: Re: Piper nigrum? But no peppercorns?
Post by: Mike T on September 20, 2020, 07:43:27 AM
I grow pepper and get plenty of peppercorns without a male. The first isn't a pepper but Rob's leaves are a bit wider than usual.