Piper may be shrubs, climbers or small trees. The leaves vary from narrowly-oval to rounded and may have a pungent aroma. The flowers, with no petals or sepals, appear in narrow spikes, followed by single-seeded fruit.P. auritum is a tender shrub that can be grown outdoors as a herbaceous perennial. It has very large, heart-shaped, aromatic leaves and flowers resembling cream rat's tails in summer
