pod Can you I.D. the mystery pepper I am growing?

[TucsonTerry]

This plant "hitchhiked" in a pot with a different plant somebody gave me. It has produced several peppers, but I don't know how to tell when they are ripe. Do you recognize what kind this is and what color it will be when ripe?

 

[thoroughburro]

Peppers cross easily with each other, so when you get a pepper you didn’t expect, it’s usually the result of an unintentional cross. A lot of people enjoy the happenstance and mystery of growing crosses. If you like the result, you can even work on stabilizing it. Enjoy the journey!

It does mean we can’t tell you much (like ripe color) without knowing its parents, though. More experienced members might deduce its likely species.

 

[TucsonTerry]

Thank you! I was hoping somebody who knew more varieties than I do might recognize it. A cross would explain why I couldn't find one like it. Appreciate your reply!

 

[Norman]

Have you tasted one of the peppers?
Even green, you’d get some idea of it’s heat level to help narrow it down.

 

[TucsonTerry]

Nope, but thanks for the idea. My thought was to wait and see whether the largest one ever changed color. If it didn't (before going bad) I'd know I should harvest the rest while green. Maybe I should taste one of the smaller ones now.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Cut one open, let's get a look at the seed color.

 

[Bou]

Might also be just an unstable variety or a runt pod as well...

 

[TucsonTerry]

Cut one open, let's get a look at the seed color.

Okay, but I'm still letting the largest one mature. Would seeds from one of the smaller, less mature peppers work?

 

[Anders]

This plant "hitchhiked" in a pot with a different plant somebody gave me. It has produced several peppers, but I don't know how to tell when they are ripe. Do you recognize what kind this is and what color it will be when ripe?

It's hard to say because there are so many different peppers, and new crosses all the time. And the first fruit does not always have the right shape and form. A picture of the flower would help to identify the species to narrow it down.

From your picture, the leaf looks to be a capsicum annuum, but I can't say for sure.

Most peppers start off green and then mature to another color. Some change color more than once. You can usually tell when the pepper is mature by a few different factors. If it has changed color and has had the same new color for a week I would say chances are very high. And you can feel it when it's starting to get a bit soft.

 

[TucsonTerry]

Might also be just an unstable variety or a runt pod as well...

Definitely could be an unstable hybrid, but all the pods on the plant are the same shape and growing larger so I'm thinking not a runt.