Scientific/Botanical Name:
Genus: Capsicum
Specie: C. annum
Variety/Cultivar:
English Name:
Common Name:
Common Chili pepper , Bell pepper
Botanical Family:
Name in Latin: Solanaceae
Name in English: Nightshade or Potato Family
The Plant
Origin: southern North America and northern South America.
Growth Habit: Evergreen perennial shrub
Flower: Solidary at nodes, usually white, star -shaped
Blooming Period: June - September
Leaf: Lanceolate, parallel, entire
Usage:
culinary, ornamental, medicinal
Care and Handling
Soil: requires moist soil
Amount of water: heavy drinker
Nutrition: fertilize once every 2-3 weeks with high phosphorous after fruit has set- continue until harvest
Special handling: In the absence of winter can survive several seasons and grow into a large perennial shrub. Frost tender, will not grow in shade.
Special feature/remarks:
Many varieties from sweet -mind to spicy-hot. Annum meaning annual is an incorrect designation- under correct growing conditions "chilies" are perennial.