This Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ publication is part of a series originally written by Edward F. Gilman. Visit https://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/ to learn more about creating and maintaining attractive landscapes that protect Florida's water resources and environment.
Introduction
Ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum) is an herbaceous tender perennial that is grown as a warm season annual in frost-prone hardiness zones. This plant has a rounded growth habit, and may acheive a height of 1 to 4 feet, and reaches a spread of 1 foot (Figure 1). The leaves are lanceolate and green, purple, or black depending on cultivar selection (Figure 2). Flowers are small white to purple in coloration and are generally considered inconspicuous (Figure 3). This species is notable for its colorful and showy fruits (Figure 4). The fruit is a 1- to 3-inch-long berry, which varies in shape and size depending on cultivar. Colors range from black, red, orange, yellow, green, and white. Several colors are often seen at the same time on plants as the fruits ripen and change color. While the peppers are said to be edible, they are generally not eaten as the flavor can be unpredictable. Avoid using these plants where young children could come into contact with them as the fruits can be irritating if eaten or handled.
In warmer climates, ornamental peppers are perennial and one of the best bedding plants for hot weather conditions, performing beautifully as a groundcover in mixed flower borders, as an edging, or in containers. Ornamental pepper makes a dramatic mass planting, is resistant to herbivores, and attracts several species of birds. Even though they can be perennial in USDA hardiness zones 9B through 11B, plants are usually changed out at the end of the season.
Credit: Rose Guinther via Adobe Stock
Credit: © plantperson7654, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) via iNaturalist
Credit: Sinaloa Silvestre, no rights reserved (CC0) via iNaturalist
Credit: Trygve via Adobe Stock
General Information
Scientific name: Capsicum annuum
Pronunciation: KAP-sick-um AN-yoo-um
Common name(s): ornamental pepper, bush red pepper, Christmas pepper, chili pepper
Family: Solanaceae
Plant type: annual; tender perennial
USDA hardiness zones: all zones (Figures 5 and 6)
Credit: This map is based on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Visit https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ for specific zone information.
Credit: This map is based on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Visit https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ for specific zone information.
Planting month for zone 7: Jun; Jul
Planting month for zone 8: May; Jun
Planting month for zone 9: Mar; Apr; May; Sep; Oct
Planting month for zones 10 and 11: Feb; Mar; Apr; May; Oct; Nov; Dec
Origin: native to parts of North America
Invasive potential: not known to be invasive
Uses: container or above-ground planter; mass planting; border
Availability: generally available in many areas within its hardiness range
Description
Height: 1 to 4 feet
Spread: 6 inches to 1 foot
Plant habit: round
Plant density: dense
Growth rate: moderate
Texture: medium
Foliage
Leaf arrangement: alternate
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: entire
Leaf shape: ovate
Leaf venation: bowed
Leaf type and persistence: not applicable
Leaf blade length: 2 to 4 inches
Leaf color: green
Fall color: not applicable
Fall characteristic: not applicable
Flower
Flower color: white; purple
Flower characteristic: inconspicuous and not showy
Fruit
Fruit shape: elongated
Fruit length: 3 to 6 inches
Fruit cover: fleshy
Fruit color: orange; white; yellow; red; green; black; purple
Fruit characteristic: persists on the plant; showy; may cause irritation
Trunk and Branches
Trunk/bark/branches: not applicable
Current year stem/twig color: green
Current year stem/twig thickness: thick
Culture
Light requirement: plant grows in full sun
Soil tolerances: slightly acidic; slightly alkaline; clay; sand; loam
Soil salt tolerances: unknown
Plant spacing: 6 to 12 inches
Other
Roots: not applicable
Winter interest: not applicable
Invasive potential: not known to be invasive
Pest resistance: long-term health usually not affected by pests
Use and Management
Ornamental pepper should be located in full sun. It is adaptable to any well-drained soil but does best in an acidic to slightly neutral pH. Flowers appear during the late spring and summer, followed by the brightly colored fruit. The peppers will persist on the plant until the first frost, where the plant will be killed back. Various cultivar selections are available with different growth forms, disease resistance, and pepper colors and shapes. This plant is heat and drought tolerant. Pinching the new growth of this plant will encourage lateral growth, and result in a fuller specimen. Plant on a 12- to 18-inch center for a mass planting effect.
Propagation is by seed, which should not be covered with soil.
Design Considerations
Ornamental Pepper is prized for its vivid, long-lasting fruit, which ripens through a kaleidoscope of purple, black, red, and orange, often displaying multiple colors at once. Its compact, mounded form provides neat structure, while the glossy, beadlike peppers add bold texture. Best in full sun and well-drained soil, it excels as a front-of-border edging, in massed seasonal displays, or as a vibrant accent in containers and foundation beds.
For companion plantings, use contrasting colors and textures. Create a fiery, heat-loving scheme with orange marigolds and red zinnias or opt for a cool contrast by setting the peppers against the blues of Plumbago or Angelonia. To make the fruit pop with foliage pair dark-leaved varieties like 'Black Pearl' with chartreuse sweet potato vine, or use silvery dusty miller as a cooling backdrop. Finally, soften the pepper’s bold form with the fine, airy texture of ornamental grasses like purple fountain grass or muhly grass.
Pests and Diseases
No pests or diseases are of major concern except for occasional leaf-chewing insects.