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Capsicum chinense
Solanaceae FAMILY

Capsicum chinense

Capsicum chinense

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
4/5

Safety & Hazards

Although providing many well-known foods for people, including the potato, tomato, pepper and aubergine, most plants in the family Solanaceae also contain poisonous alkaloids. Unless there are specific entries with information on edible uses, it would be unwise to ingest any part of this plant[PFAF].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

The plant is often cultivated as an annual in the tropics and subtropics. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 20 - 26°c, but can tolerate 15 - 32°c[1]. It is not tolerant of frosts[PFAF]. It succeeds with a mean annual rainfall in the range 600 - 1,250mm, but tolerates 500 - 1,500mm[1]. Requires a very warm sunny position and a humus-rich, fertile, well-drained loam[2]. Prefers a light sandy soil that is slightly acid[3]. Prefers a pH in the range of 5.5 - 5.6[2], but tolerates 4.3 to 8.3. Another report says that it prefers a pH in the range 6 - 6.5, tolerating 5.3 - 7[1]. When grown as an annual, the plant takes 120 - 150 days from sowing to first harvest of the fruit[1]. There are many named varieties[4].

Propagation

Seed - sow in a seedbed or in containers[2]. The seed usually germinates in 3 - 4 weeks at 20°c. Plant out into permanent positions when about 8 - 10cm tall[2]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Capsicum+chinense>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  2. [2]Vegetables in the Tropics — Tindall. H. D. · MacMillan, Oxford. · 1983 · ISBN 0-333-24268-8 ↩︎An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
  3. [3]A - Z of Companion Planting. — Allardice.P. · Cassell Publishers Ltd. · 1993 · ISBN 0-304-34324-2 ↩︎A well produced and very readable book.
  4. [4]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  5. [5]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  6. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎