Sweet Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Chili Pepper, Christmas Pepper, Red Pepper, Ornamental Chili Pepper
Capsicum annuum

Family: Solanaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Early fall, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Upright or erect.

Capsicum annuum is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Not known in the wild.

Probably native of the Tropics, but the original habitat is obscure.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Fruit - raw or cooked. Some varieties are very hot (the chilli and cayenne peppers) and are normally used as a pungent flavouring whilst milder varieties (the sweet peppers) have a very pleasant flavour with a slight sweetness and are often eaten raw in salads etc. The dried fruits of chilli and cayenne peppers is ground into a powder and used as a pungent flavouring called paprika. The powder from the dried ground fruit of some cultivars is added to food as a colouring. The fruits range widely in size and shape, from a few centimetres long to more than 30cm. Young leaves are said to be edible but some caution is advised. They are steamed as a potherb or added to soups and stews. The leaves contain about 4 - 6% protein. Seed - dried, ground into a powder and used as a pepper. Flowers - raw or cooked.

Colouring: edible dyes

Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.

Medicine

Rating: 3

The fruit of the hot, pungent cultivars is antihaemorrhoidal when taken in small amounts, antirheumatic, antiseptic, diaphoretic, digestive, irritant, rubefacient, sialagogue and tonic. It is taken internally in the treatment of the cold stage of fevers, debility in convalescence or old age, varicose veins, asthma and digestive problems. Externally it is used in the treatment of sprains, unbroken chilblains, neuralgia, pleurisy etc. It is an effective sea-sickness preventative. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Capsicum for muscular tension, rheumatism.

Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.

Antiemetic: Prevents vomiting.

Antihaemorrhoidal: Treats haemorrhoids (piles). This would probably be best added to another heading.

Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.

Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.

Appetizer: Improves the appetite

Digestive: Aids digestion.

Irritant: Causes irritation or abnormal sensitivity in living tissue.

Rubefacient: A counter-irritant and external stimulant, it produces inflammation and redness of the skin.

Sialagogue: Stimulates the secretion of saliva.

Other

Rating: 2

Agroforestry Uses: Sweet pepper plants are good companions for basil and okra. They should not be grown near apricot trees, however, because a fungus that the pepper is prone to can cause a lot of harm to the apricot tree.

Companion: Companion planting is the careful placement of plants (especially vegetables and herbs) which have been shown to have beneficial effects on one another.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Landscape Uses: Border, Container, Massing, Seashore, Specimen. Requires a very warm sunny position and a fertile well-drained soil. Prefers a light sandy soil that is slightly acid. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.3 to 8.3. Plants can tolerate a small amount of frost, but this species does not normally do well outdoors in an average British summer and so it is usually grown in a greenhouse in this country. However, if a very warm sheltered position outdoors is chosen then reasonable crops could be obtained in good summers. This species is widely grown throughout the world, but especially in warm temperate to tropical climates, for its edible fruit - the sweet and chilli peppers. There are many named varieties. There are five basic forms of fruits, each form having various varieties. These forms are: Cerasiforme. These have small cherry-shaped pungent fruits. Conioides. These fruits are cone-shaped and up to 5cm long. Many of them are grown as ornamentals, but some are also cultivated for food.. Fasciculatum. Also cone-shaped, but with pungent red fruits up to 7.5cm long. Grossum. These are the sweet peppers with large bell-shaped fruits and thick flesh. Longum. These are the cultivated hot cayenne and chilli peppers with long thin fruits up to 30cm long. The pungency of peppers depends upon the presence of a single gene, cultivars that lack this gene are the sweet peppers. A short-lived evergreen perennial in the tropics, though the plants are grown as annuals in temperate zones. Sweet pepper plants are good companions for basil and okra. They should not be grown near apricot trees, however, because a fungus that the pepper is prone to can cause a lot of harm to the apricot tree. Special Features:Not North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is fibrous dividing into a large number of fine roots .

Propagating it: Seed - sow late winter to early spring in a warm greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of reasonably rich soil and grow them on fast. If trying them outdoors, then plant them out after the last expected frosts and give them the protection of a cloche or frame at least until they are established and growing away well.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 10-11

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Pungent-fruited peppers may cause painful irritation when used in excess, or after accidental contact with the eyes. Although no reports have been seen for this species, many plants in this family produce toxins in their leaves. The sap of the plant can cause the skin to blister. Avoid in patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressants and antihypertensive drugs .

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Capsicum abyssinicum. Capsicum angulosum. Capsicum axi. Capsicum ustulatum