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Variously known as mountain pepper, pepperberry and Tasmanian pepper, Tasmannia lanceolata is a temperate rainforest tree – more exactly, a large shrub – native to south-eastern Australia.

The Pepper Tree

Aussie bush tucker doesn't come much spicier than our native mountain pepper

Its spicy, aromatic leaves and berries can be used to flavour foods and for centuries were used by Aboriginal people as a traditional medicine. In colonial times, it was prescribed for scurvy.

In his 1889 book The Useful Native Plants of Australia, Joseph Maiden described the use of "pepper tree" as a condiment, "being a fair substitute for pepper or rather allspice. The leaves and bark also have a hot, biting, cinnamon-like taste."

Though similar in taste to common black pepper, mountain pepper packs quite a bit more heat and a sharper, spicier flavour. It's rich in antioxidants and the dried leaves and berries can be used as an antimicrobial to prevent food spoilage.

GROWING & CAREING

Mountain Peppers are with dark red stems and deep green glossy leaves, this attractive plant grows to around 2-5 metres tall. In autumn or early winter the female plants will produce dark plum-coloured to black pea-sized berries.

As this species is dioecious, to produce fruit you'll need both a male and female plant. You will also need to be patient because you won't be harvesting berries until the fourth or fifth year after planting.

Trees are normally sold as seedlings and are clearly marked as male or female. It's a good idea to label the trees once you've planted them so you know which is which in case one of the pair dies.

A cool-climate rainforest tree, mountain pepper is frost tolerant and prefers a rich but well-drained soil. It will not tolerate periods of drought, so keep your trees well watered but not waterlogged. To keep the roots cool, make sure the soil around your plants is well mulched.

It's possible to grow mountain pepper in large pots or containers as a shrub, but keep it trimmed to maintain its shape and height and make sure the soil is well watered but has good drainage. As a garden plant, mountain pepper attracts birds such as currawongs to feed on the berries.

Uses Of  Pepperberry

• Use the dried berries in the same way you would conventional black pepper; the leaves can be used fresh or dried. 
• But be careful – the dried leaves tend to be hotter than the fresh ones! 
• Mountain pepper is one of many native foods enjoying a marketing revival as bush tucker. 
• Home cooks can use the berries or leaves in stews and soups or to complement meat dishes.

While spirits and beers flavoured with mountain pepper are becoming popular with microbreweries and distilleries, freshly picked berries can also be used to flavour botanical cocktails. As observed, Indigenous Australians have long used mountain pepper as medicine. We now know its power is due to its potent antioxidants, of which it contains more than blueberry.

Though its health benefits are still being researched, some studies suggest its strong polygodial antioxidants could help with diabetes and Alzheimer's as well as autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases.As also noted above, research from Griffith University shows that mountain pepper leaves and berries have strong antibacterial and antimicrobial properties.

Scientific

• Common names: Tasmanian pepper, mountain pepper, native pepper, pepperberry, pepperleaf 
• Botanical name: Tasmannia lanceolata
• Family: Winteraceae 
• Aspect & soil: Well-drained acidic soil with some shade 
• Climate: CoolMountain temperate 
• Habit: Shrub 
• Propagation: Cuttings or seed 
• Difficulty: Easy