Piperaceae
Vera cruz pepper
Piper auritum
- Family
- Piperaceae
- Genus
- Piper
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Common names
By language (4)
- English
- Vera cruz pepper, Acuyotlanepa, Anisillo, Hierba santa, Hoja santa, Mexican pepperleaf, Root beer plant, Sacred pepper
- German
- Mexikanischer Blattpfeffer
- Japanese
- メキシカンペッパーリーフ, ピペルアウリツム
- Serbian
- Hoja santa
Synonyms
- Artanthe aurita Miq.
- Artanthe sancta Miq.
- Artanthe seemanniana Miq.
- Piper alstonii Trel.
- Piper auritilaminum Trel.
- Piper auritilimbum Trel.
- Piper auritum var. amplifolium C.DC.
- Piper auritum var. schiedeanum C.DC.
- Piper auritum var. seemannianum (Miq.) Trel.
- Piper heraldi var. amplius Trel.
- Piper heraldii Trel.
- Piper heraldii var. cocleanum Trel.
- Piper perlongipes Trel.
- Piper sanctum Miq.
- Schilleria aurita Kunth
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Tree
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Lower 48 states: introduced, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced
Photos
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Christian Pirkl, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Photo by David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Piper
- Black pepperPiper nigrumPiperaceae
- BetelPiper betlePiperaceae
- KavaPiper methysticumPiperaceae
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- West African pepperPiper guineensePiperaceae
- Higuillo de hoja menudaPiper aduncumPiperaceae
- Piper sarmentosumPiperaceae
- Javanese long pepperPiper retrofractumPiperaceae
- Piper umbellatumPiperaceae
- Piper kadsuraPiperaceae
- Piper borbonensePiperaceae
- Piper achupallasensePiperaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.