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Cayenne pepper

Capsicum annuum (KAP-sih-kum AN-yoo-um)

Family: Solanaceae Non-native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

The Longum group includes chili peppers and cayenne peppers. They are edible but quite hot. It is an annual herb or short-lived perennial that can be used as a florist plant or interiorscape. Use in the landscape in vegetable gardens, containers, window boxes, or as a tender, herbaceous annual bedding plant. Plants tolerate heat and drought well. Pinching plants when they are young can help promote bushiness. Click here to see a calendar of planting schedules, time-to-harvest, and recommended spacing. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems : No serious problems. Insect pests may include aphids, Colorado potato beetles, cutworms, pepper maggots, red spider mite, slugs, snails and whiteflies. Potential diseases include bacterial and fungal leaf spot, mosaic virus, root rot, blossom end rot, and wilt. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Capsicum annuum .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 63 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Capsicum annuum Cerasiforme Group Capsicum annuum Conioides Group
Fills a similar niche Capsicum annuum Cucumis sativus Physalis philadelphica

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual; Edible; Herb; Herbaceous Perennial; Vegetable; Warm Season Vegetable
Life cycle
Annual; Perennial
USDA zones
9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Mounding
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Alternate, simple, smooth margined
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; White
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower shape
Bell; Star
Flower detail
Small, solitary, axillary, white or greenish, 5-parted
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Orange; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Edible; Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
A shiny, tapered berry of various colors.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Nodes may be purple in color.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Tropical America
Wildlife value
May attract masked bees.
Play value
Edible fruit
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Berry

Edibility

Fruit edible when raw or cooked but can be quite hot.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Walkways
Landscape theme
Edible Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border; Mass Planting; Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#poisonous #heat tolerant #edging #edible fruits #showy fruits #low maintenance #drought tolerant #window boxes #fruits summer #interiorscape #fast growing #edible garden #vegetable garden #vegetable #bedding plants #ornamentals #container plant #florist plant #edible
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Aphids Found on Flowers and Foliage; Whiteflies Found on Flowers and Foliage; European Pepper Moth in Nurseries and Greenhouses; Greenhouse Whitefly; Silverleaf Whitefly; Insect and Related Pests of Vegetables; Pests of Peppers
Disease problems
Southern Bacterial Wilt on Herbaceous Ornamental Plants; Anthracnose of Pepper; Phytophthora Blight of Peppers; Crop Protectants for Controlling Diseases of Vegetable Crops in Greenhouses; Southern Blight of Tomato and Pepper; Bacterial Spot of Pepper and Tomato
Other problems
Blossom-End Rot of Tomato, Pepper, and Watermelon
Problems
Contact Dermatitis; Poisonous to Humans
Resistant to
Drought; Heat
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Fruits; Leaves; Seeds
Poison symptoms
TOXIC ONLY IF LARGE QUANTITIES EATEN. CAUSES SEVERE PAIN IN THE MOUTH IF EATEN! SKIN IRRITATION MINOR OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Burning or stinging of lips, tongue and throat; nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; burning sensation of the eyes and skin; blistering after prolonged exposure.
Toxic principle
Capsaicin and derivatives
Contact dermatitis
Yes
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Fruits; Leaves; Seeds; contact dermatitis

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.

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