Coast Gardener
Heating Up the Landscape With Peppers
Coast Gardener Newspaper and Web Column - May 26, 2008
Several years ago I became interested in expanding my selection of ornamental bedding plants for my landscape after reading about ornamental vegetables. I experimented with oddly colored heirloom tomatoes, egg plants that looked like Easter eggs, and even used squash as a ground cover. Then I saw a planting of ornamental peppers. This interested me as I am a true “chili head” and have a passion for hot peppers. I have grown jalapeño, Habanero, and the like as bedding plants.
Lately I have expanded again and am growing the true ornamental type of peppers. There are a myriad to choose from: big or small, green or purple foliage, and multi-colored fruit. This can be a unique way to add interest to your garden. The seeds are available at many of the online seed houses and plants may be available at your favorite garden center.
A word of caution though, most of these ornamental peppers are edible, but also are extremely hot, so care must be taken to keep curious youngsters from trying the brightly colored fruit.
Here are some of my favorites:
Bolivian
Rainbow
Bears a profusion of fruit on plants to 3 foot tall. The fruit are cone-shaped
starting purple, turning yellow, orange and finally red. All four colors
being present at the same time. High
Resolution
Filus Blue
Slightly spreading, these plants are about 18 inches tall. The fruit
are held upright, start purple and slowly change to red and hold their
color well. High
Resolution
Largo
Purple
With an ultimate size of almost 3 feet, these plants take on the persona
of a pepper shrub. Purplish foliage provides a solid background as the
conical fruit mature to a deep red. High
Resolution
Marbles
This is a small, front of the border plant produces a dense cover of
fruit. The fruit are about ½” diameter and start cream
colored and change to red. High
Resolution
Medusa
Like its mythical namesake, this plant produces an abundance of brightly
colored peppers held upright. Ivory, yellow, orange, and red fruit
are displayed simultaneously. This is a small 6” to 8” plant. High
Resolution
NuMex
Centennial
This is a pepper that is well suited for containers. Tiny fruit start
out purple and ripen though yellow, orange and finally red. High
Resolution
NuMex
Twilight
Green foliage and purple fruit that ripens through yellow, orange and
red with all four colors present. Plants to 2 feet tall. High
Resolution
Poinsettia
Like our favorite holiday plant, this pepper produces a crown of brilliant
red fruit. Small stature suitable for containers. High
Resolution
Starburst
An abundance of colorful peppers light up this dwarf plant. Fruit to
2-inch colored yellow, orange, and red fruit at the same time. High
Resolution
Trifetti
Variegated green, white, purple foliage on spreading, mounding plant.
Fruit starts purple and changes to red. High
Resolution
Photo credits: Gary Bachman
Written by Dr. Gary R. Bachman, Assistant Extension Professor of Horticulture, Coastal Research & Extension Center.