Capsicum annuum ‘Chilly Chili’

Ornamental pepper f1

Cayenne peppers are natives of southern North America and northern South America. Most of the peppers we eat or grow as ornamentals are cultivated from this species, including anchos, banana peppers, cayennes, de árbols, guajillos, jalapeños, anaheims, Italian sweets, pasillas, peperoncinis, pimentos, poblanos, serranos, and tabascos. (A few, habaneros among them, have other origins.) The ‘Chilly Chili’ cultivar is an ornamental plant bred for its bright sprays of multicolored peppers.

Plants: Up to 2′ (60 cm) high, densely branched. They are annuals in cooler climates and woody perennials in warmer ones. (Woody variants are sometimes referred to as Capsicum frutescens, but there is little evidence to support this separate classification.)

Leaves: Oblong-ovate, ovate, or ovate-lanceolate, 1½–5 ⨉ ½–1½″ (4–13 ⨉ 1.5–4 cm), on petioles 1½–2½″ (4–7 cm) in length.

Flowers: Whitish or tinged with purple, about 1″ (2.5 cm) in size, appearing from May to October.

Fruits: Shiny, carrot-shaped peppers. They may vary in color when ripe from green to yellow, orange, or red. As a rule, varieties with smaller fruits have more heat. But this variety is an exception, and is mild.

Edibility: Edible, with almost no heat.

Online References:

References:

Capsicum annuum ‘Chilly Chili’ description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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