Native to midwestern swamps and marshes, pepper vine is a deciduous bushy vine that grows as a ground cover or a vine growing 35 feet or more. The dark green compound foliage is up to 6 inches long and wide and turns pale yellow in fall. The leaflets are toothed, dark green on the upper surface and lighter green on the lower. Flat-topped clusters of tiny green flowers are followed by clusters of pea-sized, bluish-purple, inedible berries up to 5/8 inch in diameter, which are attractive to birds. The plant grows best in full to part shade and moist soil where it is short-lived, but aggressive; it can become invasive.