Herb: Mountain Pepper


Latin name: Drimys lanceolata


Synonyms: Drimys aromatica, Tasmannia aromatica, Tasmannia lanceolata, Winterania lanceolata


Family: Winteraceae (Wintera Family)



Medicinal use of Mountain Pepper:

Antiscorbutic, stomachic.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
4.5 m
(15 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Scent:
Scented
Shrub

Habitat of the herb:

Moist places in mountain forests and also in alpine zones to 1500 metres.

Edible parts of Mountain Pepper:

The fruit and seed are used as a pepper and allspice substitute. A pungent flavour. The aromatic berries are edible according to one report, whilst another says that they taste somewhat like cinnamon.

Other uses of the herb:

This species makes an excellent windbreak in woodland, it is widely grown as a hedge in mild temperate regions. Wood - soft, only moderate strength.

Propagation of Mountain Pepper:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10 - 15 cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Approximately 60% take. Layering in March/April. Takes 12 months. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth with a heel of older wood, November in a cold frame.

Cultivation of the herb:

Moist places in mountain forests and also in alpine zones to 1500 metres.

Known hazards of Drimys lanceolata:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.