PLANT LIBRARY

Other Names:  Ornamental Chili, Chili Pepper

Brand:  PanAmerican Seed

Description:

An outstanding ornamental pepper grown for its stunning black foliage and fruits; foliage emerges green and turns black in full sun; purple fruits mature to bright red; a perfect contrast plant for the garden or planters

Ornamental Features

Midnight Fire Ornamental Pepper is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. The fruits are showy deep purple peppers which fade to cherry red over time, which are carried in abundance from mid summer to mid fall. Its attractive glossy pointy leaves emerge green in spring, turning black in color throughout the season. It features subtle lilac purple star-shaped flowers dangling from the stems from late spring to mid summer.

This plant is primarily grown as an ornamental, but it's also valued for its edible qualities. The oblong spicy peppers are most often used in the following ways:

• Cooking
• Drying
• Seasoning
• Sauces

Landscape Attributes

Midnight Fire Ornamental Pepper is an herbaceous annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Midnight Fire Ornamental Pepper is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Herb Gardens
• Container Planting
• Hanging Baskets

Planting & Growing

Midnight Fire Ornamental Pepper will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 16 inches. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. 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 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. 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.

Midnight Fire Ornamental Pepper is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor containers and hanging baskets. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.