Black Pearl Question

joeknowsjolokia · Jul 17, 2009

My black pearl started out real dark and gained more green the older it got! I will go take a pic of it now!

joeknowsjolokia · Jul 17, 2009

OK, not the best pic, but you can see alot of green. Mine also has pods, buds and flowers on it right now! Very healthy!!! Judging by your two plants, I would say, one is older then the other and they are both black pearls, without a cross!

crazy8 · Jul 17, 2009

All three were planted at the same time. So the one thing I still find puzzling is the white/purplish flower. I mean if its a pure Black Pearl than despite green leaves, shouldn't the flower still be a solid dark purple? These are closer to white than anything.

crazy8 · Jul 17, 2009

here is the pic I took up close. You can see both flower buds but do you notice the purple streak on that one peddle? Notice how dark the branches are to, very nice.

chillilover · Jul 17, 2009

Here's a pic of mine.

crazy8 · Jul 17, 2009

Well lets assume that the green one is pure and that it is just being a jerk because that's how it rolls. I suppose I could save seeds from this one (and a black one just in case) and plant some more next year and "weed out" the ones I don't want and see about keeping the black ones that seem to grow the best (strongest and fastest) and that should get things back on track.

Silver_Surfer · Jul 17, 2009

LancelBracken said:
Silver_Surfer , your black pearl pics motivated me to buy some seeds to grow as gifts . Between these and bolivian rainbows i should be pretty much set . Black Pearl certainly is a very good looking plant.

Yep, they are nice looking and unique. Mine is in a small 8in x 6in deep pot because I want to keep it small enough to put in a window this winter.

joeknowsjolokia said:
OK, not the best pic, but you can see alot of green. Mine also has pods, buds and flowers on it right now! Very healthy!!! Judging by your two plants, I would say, one is older then the other and they are both black pearls, without a cross!

Give it more sun; the black on mine will fade if given more shade.

crazy8 said:
All three were planted at the same time. So the one thing I still find puzzling is the white/purplish flower. I mean if its a pure Black Pearl than despite green leaves, shouldn't the flower still be a solid dark purple? These are closer to white than anything.

Yes, flowers should be purple. I wouldn't save seed from that green plant.

LancelBracken · Jul 17, 2009

I have noticed on my bolivian rainbow seedlings that most are dark but there is one that is noticeably greener, despite being in the exact same conditions to the eye. It could just be something that happens with these dark-leaved varieties?

fineexampl · Jul 17, 2009

here's mine. not as black as it was or will be again. not sure why. must be busy ripening.

crazy8 · Jul 18, 2009

well it is nice to see that my plant may not be quite as unique as I once thought and that this (dis)coloration does happen.

chillilover · Jul 18, 2009

It might be a cross. The flowers are suppose to be all purple and the fruit grows in clusters. Your flowers are too white and seperated.

joeknowsjolokia · Jul 18, 2009

Silver_Surfer said:
Yep, they are nice looking and unique. Mine is in a small 8in x 6in deep pot because I want to keep it small enough to put in a window this winter.

Give it more sun; the black on mine will fade if given more shade.

Yes, flowers should be purple. I wouldn't save seed from that green plant.

I wish I could, but the weatherman doesn't know I'm trying to grow peppers!

SeeYouJimmy · Jul 18, 2009

I've never grown any ornamentals before because, quite frankly, I have never come across any that taste good. The pics of these Black Pearls, however, might just get me to change my mind. Damn fine looking plants you all have there.

fineexampl · Jul 18, 2009

SeeYouJimmy said:
I've never grown any ornamentals before because, quite frankly, I have never come across any that taste good. The pics of these Black Pearls, however, might just get me to change my mind. Damn fine looking plants you all have there.

They're also deceptively hot. Very hot in fact. The taste is a little bitter though IMO.

POTAWIE · Jul 18, 2009

The black pearls are great looking but like most ornamentals they are known to not taste very good, and they are full of seeds.

Silver_Surfer · Jul 18, 2009

fineexampl said:
They're also deceptively hot. Very hot in fact. The taste is a little bitter though IMO.

Eat them after they change from a bright red to a deep dark red. They are sweet at that stage with a very sharp burn that fades more quickly than any other chili I've tried.

They are quite thick fleshed for their size, but remove the seeds before eating because they are a very crowded seed sac.