The genus of peppers, composed of species native across Central and South America, is in the Solanaceae (nightshade) family, which is the same as many other food plants such as tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes. Many cultivars of these species are grown as food, spice, and medicine. Peppers prefer full sun but grow well in any soil as long as it drains well. Although each species and cultivar differs in size and shape, the most iconic part of these plants is the fruit, most often bright red, hollow, and intensely spicy. This "heat" is due to the presence of capsaicin in the flesh and seeds, a trait that has been altered through breeding for various purposes. Some cultivars are sweet with no spice, and others have world record-breaking quantities of capsaicin within. Peppers tend to be tolerant to both drought and heat and resistant to damage from deer. Among commonly cultivated species, the plants tend to be small enough to lend themselves toward container gardening. Some cultivars have ornamental value and can be planted as part of a decorative arrangement, but they are most commonly found growing in vegetable gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Annual; Edible; Herbaceous Perennial; Vegetable; Warm Season Vegetable
Life cycle
Annual; Perennial
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Multi-stemmed
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Across the genus, the simple leaves are arranged alternately and most frequently ovate to lanceolate. Margins are entire and the surface is smooth and somewhat glossy. Size varies among species and cultivars.
Flower color
Purple/Lavender; White
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small flowers, white to purple in color, most commonly with 5 parts. The flowers emerge in clusters of 1 to many and bloom in summer months.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Black; Cream/Tan; Gold/Yellow; Green; Orange; Pink; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Edible; Good Dried; Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
A non-pulpy berry, often with large pockets of air inside containing many seeds. Fruits range in color, shape, and heat level depending on species and cultivar. The most common color is bright red due to the presence of carotenoid compounds. The seeds are round and flat, yellowish in color.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Nodes may darken to a purple color.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical Americas, especially South America
Wildlife value
Birds are immune to the capsaicin in peppers and can safely eat the fruits with no ill effects. Therefore, these plants may attract birds.
Attracts
Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Fruits used as a vegetable and spice. Different species and cultivars have different textures, heat levels, and cullinary uses.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Parts of this plant have been used for thousands of years as food, spice, and medicine among people groups in the Americas.
European Pepper Moth in Nurseries and Greenhouses; Greenhouse Whitefly; Silverleaf Whitefly; Insect and Related Pests of Vegetables; Pests of Peppers
Disease problems
Anthracnose of Pepper; Southern Blight of Tomato and Pepper; Southern Bacterial Wilt on Herbaceous Ornamental Plants; Crop Protectants for Controlling Diseases of Vegetable Crops in Greenhouses; Phytophthora Blight of Peppers; Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon; Bacterial Spot of Pepper and Tomato