It's actually derived from a tiny fruit called a drupe (a drupe is a fruit with only one seed inside) that grows on the pepper plant (Piper nigrum), a climbing plant in the pepper family (Piperaceae). The harvested drupe is called a peppercorn.

Where do black peppers come from?

Black pepper, (Piper nigrum), also called pepper, perennial climbing vine of the family Piperaceae and the hotly pungent spice made from its fruits. Black pepper is native to the Malabar Coast of India and is one of the earliest spices known.

Is Peppercorn grown on a tree?

How to Grow Peppercorns. Black pepper plants are actually vines most often propagated through vegetative cuttings and interspersed among shade crop trees such as coffee.