Plant Encyclopedia

Other Names:  Chili Pepper

Description:

A medium sized chili pepper on a large bushy plant; green fruit will eventually ripen to bright red; a very popular edible pepper with a mild to medium hot flavor

Edible Qualities

Jalapeno Pepper is an annual vegetable plant that is typically grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. It produces green pointy peppers (which are technically 'berries') which are typically harvested when mature. The peppers have a hot taste and a crisp texture.

The peppers are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Drying
• Pickling
• Seasoning
• Sauces

Planting & Growing

Jalapeno Pepper will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. 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 can be integrated into a landscape or flower garden by creative gardeners, but is usually grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and it is considered by many to be an heirloom variety. 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.

Jalapeno Pepper is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. 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.