Family Piperaceae
Scientific name : Piper sarmentosum
Growing Betal creeper is pretty easy but you need to learn its requirements. This rare mildly stimulant herb can also be grown in a big pot or containers in a balcony and even indoors in partial sunlight.
It belongs to the Pepper family. Its waxy green heart shaped leaves are used for medicinal and culinary purpose.When crushed, it exudes cool peppery scent. It is used for making a famous Paan which is chewed with betal nut a a mouth freshner. This mildly stimulant herb is popular in whole south Asia (Indian subcontinent) Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
It is a perennial herb which can be grown in containers and hanging baskets. You can cultivate it from cuttings and root division.
It thrives well in subtropical and tropical climate but growing betal leaf creeper in a cold climate is littlebit difficult.
Plant's primary stem grows upto 1 m high after that, it forms creeping stems having heart shaped leaves that contain mild scent and exotic white spike like flowers. It can be either trained as a climber or grown as a ground cover.
How to propagate?
If you want to propagate from cuttings, take about 8 cms long stem. make 90 degrees cut using a scissors, just below the leaf node. Remove all the leaves except top 2 leaves. Put the cutting in a glass of fresh water rand place it on a spot like a windowside, in indirect sunlight. Keep changing the water every day. Once several roots appear, transplant it into a deep container or in ground.
Prune regularly after it reaches 2 m. height to control the plant. Regular proning and plucking of leaves encourages new growth and sweet and tender leaves.
Occasional feeding in every couple of month in growing season of the plant with nitrogn rich organic manure or fertilizer is recommended. During winter season, it becomes darment in brutal cold and sometimes shed its leaves too, but get to grow again in spring and remain in growth. In such conditions, regular watering is not needed. Over watering can cause root rot disease.
Medicinl benefits of betal leaves:
Betal leaves are especially helpful to clear the bronchial passages, cough, cold and for the female reproductive system.
It removes the bad breath. It also instigates the peristalic wave an important aspect of digestion
Ithelps with urination discomfort.
Betal leaf is said to be diuretic in properties so it eases the urination comfort.
It has analgesic properties and can cure the mental illness.
It softens the stools. It supports oral treatment of dryness, pain or any uncomfortable oral conditions.
It aids in digestion. It is said to help with flatulence by encouraging saliva and other digestive juices.
Courtesy: Google
Hence, it is a must have herb in our home garden. You can buy it from nursery or you can propagate by the stem cuttings.
