Visitors today seem more lively and happy than usual. I chalk that up to holiday spirit! It can’t be the weather because its
overcast and raining outside. High
today – yes you are reading this correctly – 44 degF – in St. Paul, Minnesota. In December! A mixed blessing to be sure. But everyone seems happy and in good spirits throughout the
Conservatory.
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| 2015 Winter Flower Show |
Today I bypassed my usual beeline to the North Garden and
went straight to the Holiday Show in the Sunken Garden. A sea of red poinsettias greeted my
curious eyes as I arrived in the room.
Although there are only seven different varieties of poinsettias, there are hundreds of poinsettias poised with a variety of greenery and other winter
shades. What a true delight to see
this beautiful homage to our wonderful holiday season.
Back in the Palm Dome and Northern Garden, I relaxed in the continued
lushness and beauty of the plants so elegantly planted together and nursed by
the skilled Como horticultural staff and volunteers. I never tire of seeing the interesting and lush tropical
plants that look as healthy and at home as if they were in their native
habitat. A true wonder to see in
Minnesota!
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| Black Pepper - Piper nigrum |
I’ve chosen the plant of the day as the Black Pepper. The plant is found as a ground cover
plant in high quantity in the North Garden.
From the Piperaceae family, the black pepper plant is a vine that grows in tropical climates. After a few years, it bears
tiny white blossoms that become berries that we know as peppercorns. For black
peppercorns, the berries are picked before full maturity and turn dark when
dried. Variations of green and white peppercorns are obtained by choosing
different stages at which to pick the berries.
In addition to being the delicious spice that we use to add
flavor to our food, the essential oils of pepper are used in some countries as
an ingredient of folk medicine. Touted
benefits include relief from respiratory disorders, coughs, the common cold,
constipation, indigestion, anemia, impotency, muscular strains, dental disease,
pyorrhea, diarrhea, and heart disease.
Pepper is also used to preserve food because of its antibacterial
properties. It is a rich source of manganese, iron, potassium, vitamin-C,
vitamin K, dietary fiber and is touted as an effective anti-inflammatory agent. Aside from the medicinal benefits, it
has even been used to deter insects and even some large herbivores.
For more information:
Park, Il-Kwon, et al. "Larvicidal activity of
isobutylamides identified in Piper nigrum fruits against three mosquito
species." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 50.7 (2002):
1866-1870.
Reddy, S. Venkat, et al. "Antibacterial constituents
from the berries of Piper nigrum." Phytomedicine 11.7 (2004): 697-700.
