Capsicum annuum
Sweet Pepper
a perennial evergreen member of the Capsicum genus in the family Solanaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Genus
- Capsicum
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Foliage
- evergreen
- Height
- 1 m
- Spread
- 1 m
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
Uses
Toxicity
Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Pungent-fruited peppers may cause painful irritation when used in excess, or after accidental contact with the eyes[13]. 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[11].
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Fruit - raw or cooked[9][14][2][3]. 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[5][13]. The dried fruits of chilli and cayenne peppers is ground into a powder and used as a pungent flavouring called paprika[13]. The powder from the dried ground fruit of some cultivars is added to food as a colouring[7]. The fruits range widely in size and shape, from a few centimetres long to more than 30cm[11]. Young leaves are said to be edible[2] but some caution is advised. They are steamed as a potherb or added to soups and stews[7]. The leaves contain about 4 - 6% protein[7]. Seed - dried, ground into a powder and used as a pepper[9]. Flowers - raw or cooked[12].
- Product or use
- Colouring
- Product or use
- Condiment
- Plant part
- Flowers
- Plant part
- Fruit
- Plant part
- Leaves
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The fruit of the hot, pungent cultivars is antihaemorrhoidal when taken in small amounts, antirheumatic, antiseptic, diaphoretic, digestive, irritant, rubefacient, sialagogue and tonic[15][13]. 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[13]. Externally it is used in the treatment of sprains, unbroken chilblains, neuralgia, pleurisy etc[13]. It is an effective sea-sickness preventative[15].
- Product or use
- Antihaemorrhoidal
- Product or use
- Antirheumatic
- Product or use
- Digestive
- Product or use
- Irritant
- Product or use
- Rubefacient
- Product or use
- Sialagogue
Environment
- Range
- Probably native of the Tropics, but the original habitat is obscure.
- Habitat
- Not known in the wild.
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 9+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow late winter to early spring in a warm greenhouse[4]. 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.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Requires a very warm sunny position and a fertile well-drained soil. Prefers a light sandy soil that is slightly acid[12]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.3 to 8.3. Plants can tolerate a small amount of frost[6], 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[1]. 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[7]. 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[13]. A short-lived evergreen perennial in the tropics[11], though the plants are grown as annuals in temperate zones[8]. Sweet pepper plants are good companions for basil and okra[10][12]. 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[12].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Bianchini. F., Corbetta. F. and Pistoia. M. Fruits of the Earth.
Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00
Brouk. B. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-12-136450-x
Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960-00-00
Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5