Red Peppers Capsicum annuum
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- KAP-sih-kum AN-yoo-um
- Description
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Capsicum annuum is a pepper that can be easily grown either in an outdoor pot or in the garden. Edible varieties are used as a spice in food while ornamental varieties can add eye-popping color to your garden. Capsicum annuum requires full sun but is a great heat and drought-tolerant annual. For best results, start from seed indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost date and set seedlings or purchased plants out in the garden after any possibility of frost. It can be temperamental if its roots are disturbed and it prefers full sun and moist, well-drained, rich soil. It is best to keep this plant's soil consistently and evenly moist. To promote a bushy appearance, you can pinch young plants. Flowers give way to edible peppers, ranging from extremely hot chili peppers to sweet bell peppers.
It is a herbaceous perennial and will grow well in the garden at the higher USDA zones; however, lower zones may be problematic. In North Carolina and many other places with cold or harsh winters, peppers are best grown as annuals because they are tender to the cold. Ornamental peppers, though in the same family as normal peppers and though they are technically edible, will lack the taste necessary to be used properly in culinary applications. Some varieties can be excessively spicy, much more than normal pepper varieties but are typically grown for their exotic and breathtaking colors. Fortunately, this plant is seldom damaged by deer.
Insects Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant has a few potential pests. It is important to look out for aphids, whiteflies, cutworms, pepper maggots, and Colorado potato beetles. This plant is also sensitive to Verticillium wilt (a fungal pathogen) and mosaic virus (which should show a uniform yellow-green mosaic across the leaves followed by wilt).
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Vegetable No-Till Garden
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Aurora'
Ornamental, not edible - 'Basket of Fire'
- 'Black Pearl'
Dark purple almost black leaves in full sun - 'Buena Mulata'
- 'Calico'
- 'California Wonder'
- 'Candelabra'
Ornamental, not edible
Cerasiforme Group
- 'Chilly Chili'
Ornamental, not edible
Conioides Group
- 'Early Jalapeno'
- 'Purple Flash'
- 'Sweet orange'
- 'Sweet Sunset'
Cherry Peppers
Cone Peppers
Red Cone Peppers Grossum Group
Sweet Cone Peppers Longum Group
Chili and cayenne peppers - 'Aurora'
- 'Aurora', 'Basket of Fire', 'Black Pearl', 'Buena Mulata', 'Calico', 'California Wonder', 'Candelabra', Cerasiforme Group, 'Chilly Chili', Conioides Group, 'Early Jalapeno', Fasciculatum Group, Grossum Group, Longum Group, 'Purple Flash', 'Sweet orange', 'Sweet Sunset'
- Tags:





























- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Aurora'
Ornamental, not edible - 'Basket of Fire'
- 'Black Pearl'
Dark purple almost black leaves in full sun - 'Buena Mulata'
- 'Calico'
- 'California Wonder'
- 'Candelabra'
Ornamental, not edible
Cerasiforme Group
- 'Chilly Chili'
Ornamental, not edible
Conioides Group
- 'Early Jalapeno'
- 'Purple Flash'
- 'Sweet orange'
- 'Sweet Sunset'
Cherry Peppers
Cone Peppers
Red Cone Peppers Grossum Group
Sweet Cone Peppers Longum Group
Chili and cayenne peppers - 'Aurora'
- 'Aurora', 'Basket of Fire', 'Black Pearl', 'Buena Mulata', 'Calico', 'California Wonder', 'Candelabra', Cerasiforme Group, 'Chilly Chili', Conioides Group, 'Early Jalapeno', Fasciculatum Group, Grossum Group, Longum Group, 'Purple Flash', 'Sweet orange', 'Sweet Sunset'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Capsicum
- Species:
- annuum
- Family:
- Solanaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Edible and used as a seasoning
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Tropical North and South America
- Wildlife Value:
- Host plant for Potato Tuber Moth.
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- deer resistant
- Edibility:
- Fruits edible, but spiciness is unpredictable in intensity.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 8 in.
- Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Edible
- Houseplant
- Vegetable
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Mounding
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Orange
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Flowers are followed by small, round, pearl-like, black fruit (3/4” diameter) that matures to cherry red. Grown for colorful 1" to 2" berry: black, red, white, yellow, cream.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Bell
- Star
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small purple flowers appear in clusters in summer, but are not particularly ornamental.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Ovate leaves (to 3” long) that are deep green. Some cultivars emerge green but quickly turn shiny black. Leaves retain good color throughout the growing season.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Nodes may darken to a purple shade.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Houseplants
- Walkways
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Edible Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Border
- Small groups
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
- Heat
- Problems:
- Frequent Disease Problems
- Frequent Insect Problems