Capsicum annuum: difference between chillies and peppers, varieties, cultivation and care

Q: Do Capsicum annuum plants grow back from one year to the next?

Yes, Capsicum annuum is a perennial plant that can live for several years in the right climate (tropical). It doesn't tolerate frost, which is why it's grown as an annual or houseplant in other latitudes.If you want to keep your Capsicum annuum plants, you can. But you'll need to overwinter them in a bright place with a temperature of at least 10°C.

If you can tell from their color and appearance that chillies and peppers belong to the same family, it's harder to believe that they all come from the same plant: Capscium annuum. This member of the Solanaceae family grows wild from the southern United States to northern Brazil, and includes thousands of cultivars, from sweet peppers to very hot chillies.

How to recognize Capsicum annuum

Capsicum annuum is a perennial plant that thrives in tropical climates, but is also cultivated in temperate regions:

Outdoors as an annual vegetable plant;
Indoors as an ornamental plant, in which case ornamental pepper lives for several years.

Capsicum annuum can grow up to a metre in height, with a maximum spread of 80 centimetres. It usually grows as a bush.

Its dark-green, smooth, slightly glossy foliage consists of oval to lanceolate leaves borne on long petioles.

The flowers are white, sometimes with a green or purple tinge, with five to eight petals fused at the base. Hermaphroditic, they can all produce a fruit after pollination.

Fruits come in a wide variety of shapes: square, conical, elongated or rounded. Initially green, they take on shades of red, yellow, orange, violet or even almost black when ripe, depending on the variety.

The different varieties of Capsicum annuum

There are over 2,300 varieties of Capscicum annuum. They generally fall into two categories:

chilli pepper, with their high capsaicin content and pungent flavor;
peppers, with virtually no capsaicin and a mild, possibly sweet taste.

Among the most popular varieties of chillies are :

Anaheim or California chili pepper: a mild, elongated pepper up to 25 cm long.
Piment d'Espelette: an early variety from the Basque country, bright red and fairly mild;
Jalapeno pepper: a green then red Mexican pepper with a pronounced taste, highly productive and very resistant;
Padron or Galician pepper: green, with varying degrees of heat depending on the variety.

In the vegetable garden, we often grow the following bell pepper varieties:

Yolo Wonder: an early variety, highly resistant to disease. Its large, square fruits with thick flesh turn from green to red.
Corno di Toro (Bull's Horn): an old variety that produces an elongated red or yellow bell pepper with fine, sweet flesh.
Petit Marseillais: an old variety from the South of France with elongated, crumpled orange fruit, the flesh is fine, soft and sweet.
California Wonder: perfect for pot cultivation, it produces large, square fruits, first green, then red.

Are chillies and peppers toxic?

Peppers are not toxic. The former are used as condiments, the latter as vegetables in many recipes (ratatouille, piperade, gratins, tarts, etc.).

However, chillies can be dangerous if they contain high levels of capsaicin:

Massive ingestion can cause abdominal pain;
Contact with eyes or mucous membranes can cause severe irritation.

Wash your hands thoroughly after handling, and avoid touching your face when cooking or harvesting chillies.
Moreover, the leaves, like those of other Solanaceae, contain a toxic quantity of solanine. Make sure your pets don't eat them.

Our care tips

Capsicum annuum These are heavy feeders. Do not grow them in the same spot two years in a row. Then plant bulb vegetables or root vegetables to restore the soil's balance.
They are also sensitive to frost. Wait until all risk of frost has passed before planting them in the ground.

Watering

Water your plant generously during the growing season.

Keep the soil cool and moist, but not soggy.

Water, preferably with rainwater, at the foot of your Capsicum annuum.

Adapt your watering when the days get shorter.

Water the base of your Capsicum annuum when the substrate surface is dry. Do not wet the leaves to avoid the development of diseases and fungi. Watering is best done with rainwater at room temperature.

Water moderately to keep the soil fresh. Avoid watering if the ground is frozen to preserve the roots.

Repotting

Obtain a pierced pot or tub 30 to 60 cm deep and 15 to 25 cm in diameter.
Pour clay balls or gravel at the bottom to make a drainage layer.
Fill your pot with a rich, light substrate. Use vegetable potting soil (80%) with a little perlite (20%).
Plant your Capsicum annuum. The crown should be level with the soil. Fruits can be large and heavy. Add a stake to prevent stem breakage. Pack gently and water.
You can mulch the base to retain moisture and cover the plant with a tunnel if the nights are still cool.

Fertilization

Fertilize until the first fruits appear.

Apply a fertilizer rich in nitrogen and potassium, such as a special tomato fertilizer.

Harvest

Harvesting begins in summer and lasts until the first frosts.

When the fruit has stopped growing and its skin is shiny, you can harvest it.

You can pick the fruit as soon as it's green, or wait until it changes color. The flavor will then be sweeter and the flesh thicker.

Slice off the stalk with a knife and remove the fruit carefully, so as not to damage your Capsicum annuum.

Prune

Prune after the second wave of fruit appears.

When your plant has formed its first two waves of fruit, shorten the branches one leaf above the last fruit.

If you live in a region with little sunshine, deadhead your plants when they bear around ten fruits. This way, the plant will concentrate its energy on harvesting rather than growing.

Planting

When the risk of frost has passed, it's time to plant.

Prepare the soil by adding compost to the dirt. Dig a planting hole slightly larger than the root ball.
Plant your Capsicum annuum. The root collar should be level with the soil and not buried. Add a stake to support the stems: the fruit can become heavy and cause them to break. Firm the soil and water.
If you're planting several plants, space them at least 50 centimeters apart.
Mulch around the base to retain moisture. You can also set up a tunnel to protect your young plants from cool nights.

Sowing

You can start seedlings indoors when the days get longer.

Capsicum annuum seedlings need a temperature of at least 20°C to germinate (ideally 24°C). Grow your seedlings indoors, using a heated mini-greenhouse or heat mat if necessary.
Pour a drainage layer into cups or a terrine, followed by potting soil for seedlings and plantations. Water: the substrate should be moist, but not soggy.
Plant your seeds. You can plant them in rows in your seed tray, or arrange three seeds per cup. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of potting soil (about 5 mm).
Water regularly to keep the soil fresh and aerate your mini-greenhouse to prevent rotting.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between chillies and peppers?

From a botanical point of view, there's no difference: both are usually members of the Capsicum annuum species. The distinction is purely culinary. Chillies contain capsaicin, which is responsible for their spiciness, while peppers are virtually devoid of it, giving them a mild, sometimes sweet taste. In general, peppers also produce larger, fleshier fruits.

Do Capsicum annuum plants grow back from one year to the next?

Yes, Capsicum annuum is a perennial plant that can live for several years in the right climate (tropical). It doesn't tolerate frost, which is why it's grown as an annual or houseplant in other latitudes.

If you want to keep your Capsicum annuum plants, you can. But you'll need to overwinter them in a bright place with a temperature of at least 10°C.

What to plant next to chillies and peppers?

Peppers are plants that require a lot of water and nutrients. They also need plenty of sunlight. Avoid planting them near other nightshades, such as potatoes, eggplants, or tomatoes. These plants consume the same nutrients and are susceptible to the same pests and diseases.

However, you can plant your bell peppers and chili peppers alongside: