I have a neighbor that has a peppercorn tree. I didn't really realize that peppercorns grew on trees, so she showed me hers. She told me i could take some. So today I took a baggie to her place, and on the parts that hung over the street, I filled my little bag with branches.
Just now I skimmed the spice nuts off the branches and filled a clean, empty medicine jar full of fresh, round peppercorns. All free!