Ornamental Pepper (Christmas Pepper)
Capsicum annuum. SOLANACEAE.
Planting and Growing Ornamental Pepper
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow ornamental pepper in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of ornamental pepper
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for ornamental pepper
- Season of bloom and planting time for ornamental pepper
- When, how deep, and where to plant ornamental pepper
- How to plant ornamental pepper
- Watering, fertilizing, care, and pests or diseases of ornamental pepper
- Landscape and container uses of ornamental pepper
- Comments about ornamental pepper and its features
Growing Ornamental Pepper
Many cultivars of branching, shrublike, deciduous perennial herbs, 1–4 ft. (30–120 cm) tall. Shiny, light to deep green, oval, pointed leaves, to 3 in. (75 mm) long.
Common cultivars include Capsicum annuum ‘Fiesta’, ‘Holiday Cheer’, ‘Red Missile’, and ‘Treasure Red’.
Ornamental peppers are closely related to edible peppers. See also Hot or Chili Peppers; and Sweet Peppers for more information about growing edible peppers as vegetables.
Planting and Care Guide
Blooms
Many white flowers, to 1/2-in. (12-mm) wide, with yellow centers, in summer, followed by pink, purple, red, yellow, seed-filled, edible fruit, in late summer–late autumn.
Best Climates
Plant as tender annual, zones 3–8; ground hardy, zones 9–11.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, loamy, well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich. 6.5–7.0 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Spring in full sun, 6–12 in. (15–30 cm) apart, after soil warms.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep moist; allow soil surface to dry between waterings. Fertilize monthly during growth. Propagate by seed.
About This Plant
Good choice for accents, borders, containers in arid, rock gardens or as an indoor plant in a warm, sunny location. Disease resistant. Aphid, cutworm, weevil, whitefly susceptible.