Peppers that grow up are a beautiful example of how amazing nature is. Some peppers grow toward the sun, which is why they are often called ornamental peppers.
When grown in gardens, backyards, patios, or even inside, these ornamental peppers look very pretty because they naturally grow toward the sun, are small, and have beautiful colors. Ornamental peppers require 12 hours of sunlight, whether grown indoors or outdoors. Plant them in well-draining pots and water them once the top half inch of the soil becomes dry. Read on for eight hot and spicy peppers that grow straight up!.
The Thai hot pepper is an extremely spicy variety that grows upwards. This pepper plant produces green fruits that change their color to orange and red as they mature. Place them in a sunny spot in your garden and use 1-gallon containers that are deep and have good drainage to give their taproots room to grow.
These peppers are quite small, about 0. 5 to 1 inch long and thin. Theyre a popular ingredient in sauces, soups, and noodles. Handle them with care, as their fiery heat can burn the skin for up to 12 hours. As a precaution, always wear gloves when slicing them, and never rub your eyes while handling these peppers.
Peppers come in all shapes and sizes, but some varieties have a distinct growth habit – they grow straight up! Rather than drooping downwards, these upright peppers point towards the sky. Their upright orientation makes them visually striking in the garden and perfect for containers and small spaces.
Why Do Some Peppers Grow Upright?
Most pepper plants initially grow upright when they are young. As the peppers mature and get heavier the stems bend and the fruits hang down. But some pepper varieties have been selectively bred to maintain their upright growth even as the fruits develop.
This is often seen in hot peppers native to Asia and the Americas where wild pepper plants naturally grew small upright fruits. Through breeding, some larger fruited varieties retain the upright habit. Upright peppers also make for beautiful ornamental varieties.
Popular Varieties of Upright Peppers
Here are some of the most common varieties of peppers that grow straight up:
Chinese 5 Color
This pepper originates in China. As the name suggests, the fruits ripen to a rainbow of colors – purple, creamy white, yellow, orange and finally red. The 1-2 inch long conical peppers grow upright close to the stem. They have medium heat.
Thai
Thai pepper plants produce dozens of small, upright growing fruits. Varieties come in red, yellow and orange shades. Thai chiles pack some serious heat!
Santaka
Santaka is a very productive Japanese chili pepper that points up. The pods have medium heat and a delicious fruity flavor.
Goat’s Weed
Also called aji cabro, this is a habanero-type pepper that develops upright on compact bushes. The fruits are intensely hot!
Medusa
A dwarf ornamental pepper covered in upright pointing red fruits. Medusa is non-spicy.
Bird’s Eye Chili
Tiny, berry-shaped bird’s eye chilies grow in an upright umbrella pattern. They are a key ingredient in many Asian dishes.
Piquin
A wild chile pepper native to Mexico that develops erect, scarlet red pods. Piquins are extremely hot!
Growing Tips for Upright Peppers
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Upright pepper varieties thrive in full sun – at least 6 hours per day.
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Fertile, well-draining soil is key. Avoid wet or compacted soil.
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Give plants ample spacing 1-2 feet apart depending on mature size.
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Some upright varieties like Santaka do well in containers. Use at least a 5 gallon pot.
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Stake tall varieties if needed to prevent bending in wind and rain.
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Pick fruits promptly when mature. This encourages further pod set.
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Water when soil is partly dry. Avoid overwatering which can cause fruit drop.
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Use a balanced vegetable fertilizer to promote growth and fruiting.
Using Upright Peppers
The uses for upright peppers are endless! They can be enjoyed both fresh and cooked. Some ideas:
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Add raw slivers to salads, tacos, pizza and more for a kick of heat.
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Pickle upright pepper varieties like cherry bomb peppers for use on sandwiches.
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Infuse vinegar or oil with Thai chiles or other small upright peppers.
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Mince and add to chili, curries and stir fries.
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Make hot sauce with spicy upright varieties like Santaka, goat’s weed or bird’s eye chilies.
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Stuff larger upright peppers like poblanos with cheese, meat or veggie fillings.
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Dry spicy upright peppers for use as powdered spice.
With their eye-catching vertical growth, upright pepper plants are beautiful in the garden and containers. Their fruits can be used to spice up many savory dishes. Try growing some of these cool upright pepper varieties this season!
Basket of Fire
If you don’t have enough room in your garden, don’t worry—these peppers can be grown in hanging baskets! They are ornamental peppers that are 1-2 inches long and very hot to taste. They can, however, do well in very hot and dry conditions and can grow in almost any type of soil as long as it drains well.
The star-shaped flowers of this plant are another reason to add them to your ornamental plant collection. In about 90 days, the fruit will be ready to pick. It starts out creamy, then turns yellow, then orange, and finally bright red.
The best part is that you can see all of these colors on your plant at the same time, and it can grow hundreds of peppers!
Chinese Five Color
The pepper plant’s fruit changes five colors, as the name suggests. It starts purple, then creamy white, then yellow, then orange, and finally red. This edible, perennial pepper plant produces 1 to 2 inches long, conical-shaped peppers that are medium-hot to taste.
The Chinese five-color pepper can be picked in just 90 days if you plant it somewhere sunny with soil that drains well.
The NuMex Twilight peppers are small, pretty houseplants with multicolored fruits that do best when grown in containers. This pepper plant has white flowers that turn into purple fruits that then turn yellow, orange, and finally red.
NuMex Twilight produces hundreds of 1-inch-long peppers on a single plant. To grow this plant from seeds, bring it inside first and keep the temperature between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit until the seeds start to grow. Then, place it in a sunny location and ensure the soil stays moist but not waterlogged.
This super hot pepper grows upwards and takes 70 to 80 days to mature. It grows about 3 to 5 inches long and has thin skin. Its often used in pickles and as flakes or powder after drying. You can eat this pepper in all the stages of its growth – green, red, or maroon.
However, do not try it if you cannot eat chili peppers as it is quite hot.
This plant, which is native to North America and is also called cone pepper, is grown a lot in the Szechuan province of China and used to make food there.
The cone peppers grow upwards and have a medium-hot taste. At least six hours of sunlight is a must for growing these peppers. Not to mention, plant them in well-draining soil with a high organic matter for a better yield.
Here’s another beautiful ornamental pepper plant that will look great in your home garden. This plant has bushy, dark green leaves with 2 to 3-inch long peppers that point upwards. When the fruit is fully grown, the peppers turn red. They start out green, then purple, then orange.
In about 70 to 80 days, you can pick the green peppers. It takes about 100 days for the red and purple peppers to be ready. Be careful while you eat them, as these peppers are way too hot!.
Find a sunny location to plant these peppers, preferably southern and western exposure. Plant them in soil that drains well, and once the fruits start to show up, feed them with a potassium liquid fertilizer.
The Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University was the first place to breed the NuMex Easter or ornamental chile pepper. This pepper plant grows well in pots and looks good on the patio or backyard. It grows 5 to 6 inches tall and produces four to six fruits that grow upwards. The lavender, light yellow, and light orange colors of these peppers look like the pastel colors of Easter eggs.
Fun fact: The New Mexico State University has grown a variety of holiday-themed ornamental chiles, including NuMex Halloween, NuMex Christmas, and NuMex Valentine’s Day. These chiles produce pretty colored fruits!
5 Pepper Growing Mistakes to Avoid
FAQ
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