Capsicum annuum

Capsicum annuum — la especie detrás de la mayoría de los pimientos dulces y picantes, domesticada en América y difundida por todo el mundo gracias al intercambio colombino. El hogar botánico de nuestra gama de pimiento.

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Capsicum annuum — sweet and chilli peppers

Capsicum annuum is the species that gives us most of the world's peppers — from mild, juicy bells to fiery chillies — a tender member of the nightshade family (Solanaceae). A single species of astonishing range, it underpins both our sweet pepper and chilli pepper ranges within the wider pepper collection.

History & origin

Peppers were first domesticated in Central and South America thousands of years ago, where chillies were a culinary and cultural staple long before recorded history — archaeologists have traced their use back many millennia. Following Columbus's voyages at the end of the 15th century, Capsicum annuum spread with extraordinary speed along trade routes across Europe, Africa and Asia, a movement known as the Columbian Exchange.

In just a few generations the pepper transformed cuisines that now seem unimaginable without it — Hungarian paprika, Indian and Thai curries, Korean and Sichuan cooking all built around a New World plant. The heat itself comes from capsaicin, a compound the plant evolved to deter mammals while encouraging birds, which are unaffected by it, to spread its seeds far and wide.

Botanical characteristics

Though grown as an annual in cool climates, Capsicum annuum is naturally a tender perennial, forming bushy plants hung with fruit in every imaginable colour and shape. The same species covers a remarkable spread — sweet blocky bells, long pointed ramiro, smoky paprika, and searing cayenne and jalapeño are all Capsicum annuum, differing mainly in size, sweetness and capsaicin. Fruit ripens through green to red, yellow, orange, purple or chocolate, growing sweeter and hotter as it colours. Compact and ornamental types do especially well in our container range and shine among our fruiting vegetables.

Growing Capsicum annuum from seed

Peppers reward an early start and steady warmth. Sow indoors in late winter or early spring, keep the compost warm (around 20–25°C) for reliable germination, and grow the young plants on in good light. Pot them on as they fill their containers, and move them to a greenhouse, polytunnel or the sunniest, most sheltered spot outdoors once the nights warm up. Feed with a high-potash fertiliser once the first fruit sets to fuel a long, heavy crop. The germination guide and vegetable sowing calendar help you time it right.

Ready to grow peppers? Browse sweet or hot varieties, or learn the basics first.

Related categories: Sweet Peppers · Chilli Peppers · All Peppers · Fruiting Veg · All Vegetables

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Preguntas frecuentes

¿Qué es Capsicum annuum?
Es la especie que engloba la mayoría de los pimientos dulces y los chiles, una planta delicada de la familia de las solanáceas.

¿De dónde son originarios los pimientos?
De América Central y del Sur; se extendieron por todo el mundo tras Colón, en lo que se conoce como el Intercambio Colombino.

¿Los pimientos dulces y los chiles son la misma especie?
En gran medida sí — la mayoría de los pimientos dulces y los chiles son Capsicum annuum, y se diferencian principalmente en el nivel de picante.

¿Qué hace que los chiles piquen?
Un compuesto llamado capsaicina, que la planta desarrolló para disuadir a los mamíferos mientras permitía que las aves dispersaran sus semillas.

¿Cómo cultivo pimientos desde semilla?
Siembra temprano en interior con calor, y luego continúa el cultivo bajo cubierta o en el lugar más soleado y cálido que tengas.