Description

Also called hoja santa, Yerba santa, Mexican pepperleaf, Vera Cruz pepper, or sacred pepper, this plant has edible leaves enjoyed in Mexico and other parts of Latin America. Try the huge leaves as a wrap for fish or chicken (one of our favorite uses), or sprinkle in stir fry or other dishes for a fresh flavor. It's related to the black pepper plant and has an intricate flavor that is interesting in different dishes. Some people have made a jelly similar to mint jelly from the plant. The plant grows well in shade, sometimes as much as 10' tall, and spreads through rhizomes, or its root system. It will establish a colony wherever you put it if there is room to do so. If you don't want it to spread, don't give it room. We don't mind, because it is very easy to weed, and we use the copious biomass to feed our bananas. It likes moisture, but we don't water it and it does fine. We use it as an understory in our food forest - it's attractive, low care, and delicious.