Jamaican Red Pepper
Capsicum chinense 'Jamaican Red'
Height: 30 inches
Spacing: 24 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: (annual)
Other Names: Chili Pepper
Group/Class: Hot Habanero
Description:
Small but hot, this variety produces peppers which emerge green and eventually mature to wrinkled red when ripe; good performer in containers or gardens; mature fruit is great for salsas, hot sauces and drying for seasonings
Edible Qualities
Jamaican Red Pepper is an annual vegetable plant that is typically grown for its edible qualities. It produces small green oblong peppers (which are technically 'berries') which are typically harvested when mature. The fruit will often fade to red over time. The peppers have a fiery taste and a crisp texture.
The peppers are most often used in the following ways:
- Fresh Eating
- Cooking
- Drying
- Seasoning
- Sauces
Planting & Growing
Jamaican Red Pepper will grow to be about 30 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 24 inches apart. This vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.
This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
Jamaican Red Pepper is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
