Digging deeperPlant Library

Apache Pepper fruit

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Other Names:  Ornamental Chili, Chili Pepper

Description:

This variety produces an upright, sturdy plant with lance shaped green leaves; green fruits progress to red when they mature; yields plenty of medium-hot fruit

Edible Qualities

Apache Pepper is an annual vegetable plant that is typically grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. It produces red narrow peppers (which are technically 'berries') which are usually ready for picking from mid summer to early fall. The peppers have a spicy taste and a crisp texture.

The peppers are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Drying
• Seasoning
• Sauces

Planting & Growing

Apache Pepper will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 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.

Apache Pepper is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use 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.