Black Pearl ornamental pepper still painting it black
November 09, 2010
An update on the ‘Black Pearl’ ornamental pepper, an annual that loves the heat here in Austin: it’s still looking good during fall’s cooler weather.
Most of the black “pearls”— i.e., peppers—have turned red by now, lending a more festive look to the gothic black leaves (a bit paint-splattered in this picture), which really stand out against the greens of the garden.
The dark leaves also make the coral flowers of Agastache ‘Acapulco Salmon & Pink’ pop.
I’ll be looking for more of this wonderful plant next spring.
All material © 2006-2010 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Ha! I can relate to the paint splatters. My patio plants received quite a few splatters while we stained the arbor!
The addition of the Black Pearl to your garden was a wise choice. It’s been a show stopper all season and I’ve enjoyed seeing the changes it has gone through as it has matured. I’ll have to add that to the gotta have it list.
Dry some peppers and save the seed. They are easy peasy to start…
Can you sow them directly in the garden, Darla? Those are the only kind of seeds I mess with. Everyone has their quirks, right? —Pam
gorgeous pepper! I grew filius blue this year – dark green & purple leaves, bright purple peppers that turned red. Now it’s dead though 🙁
even if you don’t plan on using the seed you can still save it for swaps or local seed banks. I’ve had so much fun all throughout this gardening season collecting way more seed than I could ever use. I hope to swap and give a lot of it away. Like you I’m only interested in using the stuff I can direct sow outdoors.
That is a pretty pepper. I love the combination of saturated color. It looks especially good with the plant partners surrounding it.
You have another convert over here in Katy. I planted them among my orange zinnias and my foxtail ferns and in pots – and the halloween show it put on was great. They are continuing to grow and put on more pearls even into Novemeber. I hope that I can find them earlier in the spring next summer they add so much depth and unexpectedness (black plants aren’t what I typically want afterall). Thanks for the suggestion, keep them coming.
I received an ornamental pepper as a gift in a mixed container way back in April – and it is still going strong! I’ll definitely be potting up another one early next spring.
That sure is a show stopper now. It will blend right in for all the Holidays. I wouldn’t mind some seeds. In my area things don’t get here like they do most places.
I do have an ornamental pepper that changes colors but it is shaped with a pointed end. It changes from green through red, orange & such. I’ll send you some seed if you like. Mine comes back every yr. but always later than what they have in the big box store. I use to have others but sadly they disappeared. It’s hard to replace pass-a-longs.
I was going to ooh over your peppers but wound up aaahing over your agastache, I absolutely love that color, what a great plant!
Very goth indeed! I like it.
I have sown them directly in the garden and have even had some reseed themselves….give it a try!!
Love it!!!
I have 4 Ornamental Black Pepper plants in my backyard, which is all mulch & plants, no grass. Today I went out & picked most of the peppers off & noticed under all the dry tree leaves that all 4 survived the 2 freezes we’ve had, but just from the ground. All the tall 3′ branches are dead. My question is: how do I dry the peppers in order to replant in the spring?
I’m not a big seed saver myself, Suzanne. Maybe another reader will have an answer for you. —Pam
Meant to add that I am also in Austin.