Pepper ID

duajones · June 1, 2008

Noticed this volunteer pepper plant a few weeks ago and not sure what it is. The pepper right above the quarter is its full size, so pretty small fruit. The flowers are white and the fruit matures to red like most. Any ideas what It is?

kevokie · June 1, 2008

Not that I would know, but did you have anything planted in that area like that last year? Kinda looks like one of those pequin, or tepin?? I have no idea, lol.

duajones · June 1, 2008

Only pepper I grew last year was a Jalapeno and it was 50 ft away. Bird droppings I am thinking

kevokie · June 2, 2008

Wow, then it is a pretty cool find! Have you tasted it yet?

duajones · June 2, 2008

The plant is loaded with real small peppers, I just dont want to eat it unless I am sure what it is

organichris · June 2, 2008

Dude, that's sweet! I would have to eat some of them. You never know what it is. It could be an F2 or something, in which case who knows what it would be. You know, if it was a volunteer of an F1 it might not necessarily have all the same characteristics of the parent plant. You could have something very unique.

Volunteers have always intrigued me. I can't explain why. Maybe its just watching nature do things on its own. But anyway, dude you have to try at least one.

Did it come up in soil that was tended? If not, it could be a jalapeno with really small fruit because it grew feral.

duajones · June 2, 2008

It is in real compacted soil that is treaded on by a large dog every day. So you guys think it is safe to eat?

organichris · June 3, 2008

Why wouldn't it be safe to eat? Do you think the dog might have marked his territory on it?

velikipop · June 3, 2008

Looks like it could be a Texas pequin. They apparently do grow wild in Texas......so bird dropings is a real good possibility as a source.

organichris · June 3, 2008

It does look similar to the Texas Pequin or Chiltepe pictures I looked up. But generally speaking it would be unusual to only see one lone feral pepper plant. It could happen I guess.

Here in Northeast Kansas we have feral Hemp, wild Cannabis Sativa. It always grows in patches. Very rarely will you find one lone plant - not that peppers and cannabis are the same.

organichris · June 3, 2008

Another question: If a bird dropping is responsible, then the bird would have had to ingest a pepper seed. Do birds eat peppers?

svalli · June 4, 2008

Some of the wild peppers are actually called bird peppers, because birds eat them. Capsaicin does not work on birds, so they do not sense the heat. The seeds in bird poop are still viable, so the plant can let them to eat the peppers. If mammals eat the peppers, the seeds will not germinate and that is why the capsaicin works on mammals. The heat in peppers should actually protect the peppers from human consumption, but some of us have developed strange urge to eat the hot stuff...

organichris · June 4, 2008

Good to know. Thanks for the info.

velikipop · June 4, 2008

Svalli is correct about birds eating chilies. They are not affected by the heat and are responsible for distributing various species of capsicum, especially in South America, where the conditions are ideal for germination in the wild.

robin303 · June 4, 2008

It is true. Birds do not have taste buds. If you notice everywhere along highways there is a lot of strange stuff growing on the fence line which is from bird droppings. I believe that pepper that came up in your yard is a TX native pepper. I friend of mine that lives in Hondo says that stuff is all over his property. He tried to grow it from seed and never could. So it is possible it needs to go through the bird first. He also told me he eats them all the time. Sorry don't know the name of it.

June 1, 2008	#2
kevokie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 157	Not that I would know, but did you have anything planted in that area like that last year? Kinda looks like one of those pequin, or tepin?? I have no idea, lol. __________________ Kevin "A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins."- Laurie Colwin, Home Cooking

June 2, 2008	#4
kevokie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 157	Wow, then it is a pretty cool find! Have you tasted it yet? __________________ Kevin "A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins."- Laurie Colwin, Home Cooking

June 3, 2008	#9
velikipop Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Langley, BC Posts: 768	Looks like it could be a Texas pequin. They apparently do grow wild in Texas......so bird dropings is a real good possibility as a source. __________________ I'll plant and I'll harvest what the earth brings forth The hammer's on the table, the pitchfork's on the shelf Bob Dylan

June 4, 2008	#12
svalli Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Vaasa, Finland, latitude N 63° Posts: 838	Some of the wild peppers are actually called bird peppers, because birds eat them. Capsaicin does not work on birds, so they do not sense the heat. The seeds in bird poop are still viable, so the plant can let them to eat the peppers. If mammals eat the peppers, the seeds will not germinate and that is why the capsaicin works on mammals. The heat in peppers should actually protect the peppers from human consumption, but some of us have developed strange urge to eat the hot stuff... __________________ "I only want to live in peace, plant potatoes and dream." - Moomin-troll by Tove Jansson

June 4, 2008	#14
velikipop Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Langley, BC Posts: 768	Svalli is correct about birds eating chilies. They are not affected by the heat and are responsible for distributing various species of capsicum, especially in South America, where the conditions are ideal for germination in the wild. __________________ I'll plant and I'll harvest what the earth brings forth The hammer's on the table, the pitchfork's on the shelf Bob Dylan

June 1, 2008	#3
duajones Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Corpus Christi,Texas Z9 Posts: 1,996	Only pepper I grew last year was a Jalapeno and it was 50 ft away. Bird droppings I am thinking

June 2, 2008	#6
organichris Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Tulsa, OK Posts: 630	Dude, that's sweet! I would have to eat some of them. You never know what it is. It could be an F2 or something, in which case who knows what it would be. You know, if it was a volunteer of an F1 it might not necessarily have all the same characteristics of the parent plant. You could have something very unique. Volunteers have always intrigued me. I can't explain why. Maybe its just watching nature do things on its own. But anyway, dude you have to try at least one. Did it come up in soil that was tended? If not, it could be a jalapeno with really small fruit because it grew feral.

June 4, 2008	#15
robin303 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Austin, TX Zone 8b Posts: 531	It is true. Birds do not have taste buds. If you notice everywhere along highways there is a lot of strange stuff growing on the fence line which is from bird droppings. I believe that pepper that came up in your yard is a TX native pepper. I friend of mine that lives in Hondo says that stuff is all over his property. He tried to grow it from seed and never could. So it is possible it needs to go through the bird first. He also told me he eats them all the time. Sorry don't know the name of it.