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Environmental Horticulture Dept. University of Florida
Solanaceae
CAPSICUM annuum 'Calico'( Conoides Group)
Calico Ornamental Pepper, Ornamental Pepper
The cone pepper ‘Calico’ is grown as an ornamental for its multi-colored leaves and showy fruits that turn from black to red. The plants are well-branched, bushy and compact and the peppers small, erect, conical, and solitary (not clustered). Native to tropical America, peppers are brittle-stemmed, warm season annuals that have been grown and selected by Native Americans since pre-history times.
Thin, oval, dark green leaves with cream and purple markings crowd the low, well-branched stems of 'Calico'. Inconspicuous purplish flowers give way to black-purple cone-shaped peppers that mature to red. On the interior they are divided by spongy ribbing which supports many small, flattened, rounded seeds. Fruits of this ornamental pepper are edible but consumption is not recommended because they are extremely hot. Care must be taken with plants grown at nurseries for ornamental purposes; they may have been treated with pesticides or other chemicals not suitable for edible plants.
Peppers are warm season vegetables that are easy to grow, if you can provide them with the correct conditions. Full sun, warmth, regular feeding and fertile, perfectly drained soil are required for good growth and fruit production. Vascular wilts and fungal diseases can be a problem in subpar conditions. Proper spacing will keep diseases at bay and help with fruit production, so plant according to the grower’s guidelines.
This ornamental pepper works well in bedding plantings and containers. Avoid planting it where children might be tempted to sample the scorching hot fruits.
For more information about the Scoville Scale see http://www.chilliworld.com/FactFile/Scoville_Scale.asp
12 - 1
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun
10"-12" / 25.4cm - 30.5cm
14"-16" / 35.6cm - 40.6cm
Spring, Summer, Indeterminate
Mexico, Central America, South America
Neutral
Well Drained
Loam
Fast
Average Water
Oval/Rounded
Spring, Summer, Fall
Insignificant
Purple
Red, Purple, Black
White, Purple, Dark Green
Variegated
White, Purple, Dark Green, Black
No
Single
Yes
Medium
Glossy
Semi-Evergreen
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Tropical
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