Splashy, colorful ornamental peppers add dazzling bursts of red, purple, yellow, orange, black, or white to the garden. And many cultivars display upright fruits that change color as they mature.
While the species Capsicum annuum includes numerous pepper types that are commonly used in the kitchen, such as C. annuum ‘Jalapeño,’ this article will focus on the varieties and cultivars that are grown mainly as ornamentals – bushy, leafy plants that produce eye-catching clumps of vivid fruits.
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Ornamental peppers are technically edible, but are not considered particularly tasty. Many are also quite high on the Scoville scale, meaning they can be eye-wateringly spicy. See our full guide to growing hot peppers for more information.
Despite having “annum” – Latin for “annual” – in their name, these plants are not true annuals. They are frost-intolerant perennials, and native to southern North America and northern South America.
In the United States, they are hardy only in Zones 9b through 11. In most of the country, these plants are grown outdoors as annuals, or grown in containers and brought indoors to overwinter.
These plants produce small flowers – with color that varies by type – beginning in May, followed by peppers that remain on the plant until the first frost.
Let’s learn more!
Propagation
Some gardeners have had luck propagating ornamental peppers from cuttings, but this can be tricky.
Starting from seed or, better still, purchasing potted plants or seedlings from a nursery, are the best – and quickest – ways to get started.
From Seed
You’ll want to start seeds indoors in a rich potting
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