Three Ornamental Peppers for the Summer

Ornamental Peppers are good conversation starters for summer picnics and backyard events. Their hot salsa colors work well for those casual summer BBQs where flip-flops are part of the dress code, and their unusual peppers add a little excitement and flair. Imagine one of these plants sitting next to the burgers and potato salad—a little summer showboating makes everything more fun!

Here are three great Pepper choices in 8-inch pots:

 

‘Chilly Chili’
Long, thin peppers change color from light green to orange to red as they ripen. What’s unique is that all the colors appear simultaneously on the same plant. It grows to about 3 feet tall and presents a bushy, compact shape bristling with pointed peppers when fully mature. The pepper itself is not hot, so it is safe around small children.

‘Calico’
‘Calico’ features a spectacular leaf—variegated with purple splotches and some cream thrown in—just a splash. Waxy-red, missile-shaped fruits add a little surrealism to the plant. This variety grows about a foot tall. The peppers are edible, but tasteless.

‘Black Pearl’
‘Black Pearl’ bears tiny, black, pearl-like peppers on a plant sporting very dark purple, almost totally black, leaves. When the peppers ripen, they turn a scarlet-red. This variety is the perfect accompaniment to silver-leafed plants in the garden, or serves as a dramatic centerpiece for the picnic table. The pepper is extremely, extremely hot, so watch out!

 

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