annuum Frost hardiness of chiltepins from the SW US...

[LordTriffid78]

Does anyone know just how frost hardy some of the wild chiltepins can get from the SW states? I hear the temperatures can get pretty low in the "Sky Island" mountains of Arizona and New Mexico. Do any of them survive in USDA zone 8-7 areas in that region?

 

[HellfireFarm]

It gets cold but those areas are I'm not sure about below-freezing cold. I'm in zone 7b and there are no capsicum annuum's that can overwinter here without significant protection (i.e. greenhouse or indoors)

 

[The_NorthEast_ChileMan]

I'm not sure about below-freezing cold. I'm in zone 7b and there are no capsicum annuum's that can overwinter here without significant protection (i.e. greenhouse or indoors)

Does anyone know just how frost hardy some of the wild chiltepins can get from the SW states? I hear the temperatures can get pretty low in the "Sky Island" mountains of Arizona and New Mexico. Do any of them survive in USDA zone 8-7 areas in that region?

Frost hardy or frost tolerant are misnomers:

Frost damage in plants results from the liquid inside individual cells freezing and forming ice crystals. The crystals then rupture the tough cell walls. When the cell walls open the fluid inside will not becontained so when the ice melts the fluids simply drain out. Freeze damage occurs when temperatures sustain at 32 degrees or below and is progressive within plants. But, freeze damage to tender plants may occur much sooner. The softest tissues like leaves and tender new shoots are hurtfirst. Tougher stem tissue and buds down from the tips endure less damage, but are not immune ifthe temperatures are lower and the duration is longer. Limp, dry and brownish leaves damaged byfrost easily stand out, however damage to stems and buds remain hidden.

 

[LordTriffid78]

Frost hardy or frost tolerant are misnomers:

Frost damage in plants results from the liquid inside individual cells freezing and forming ice crystals. The crystals then rupture the tough cell walls. When the cell walls open the fluid inside will not becontained so when the ice melts the fluids simply drain out. Freeze damage occurs when temperatures sustain at 32 degrees or below and is progressive within plants. But, freeze damage to tender plants may occur much sooner. The softest tissues like leaves and tender new shoots are hurtfirst. Tougher stem tissue and buds down from the tips endure less damage, but are not immune ifthe temperatures are lower and the duration is longer. Limp, dry and brownish leaves damaged byfrost easily stand out, however damage to stems and buds remain hidden.

I meant, specifically, if there are wild plants that survive in the ground (wild) in USDA hardiness zones 7 and/or 8. That means they could be evergreen or they could be just root hardy, or anything inbetween. And in the strictly biological sense, to "survive" means to be able to produce offspring, so by saying "survive" I'm implying that the plants not only survive either zone 7 and/or 8 lows, but go on to produce fruits with viable seeds in the growing season. That was what was meant by my question.

 

[The_NorthEast_ChileMan]

I meant, specifically, if there are wild plants that survive in the ground (wild) in USDA hardiness zones 7 and/or 8.

Any Perennial plant plant will survive Zone 7 with an average low temperature of 0 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't know of any annuals like peppers that will.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

 

[Indiana_Jesse]

The answer is no, they don't survive in those zones, and they aren't found in the higher elevations, only in low elevations, and where there is adequate moisture. I grew chiltepin in my garden in Phoenix. It would go deciduous in winter, regardless of temperatures. One winter had very little freezing/frosty weather (a few mornings around 30F) and most of the stems were undamaged, however the following winter had a harder freeze one or two nights (27F) and the stems were killed. Although the stems were killed, the roots and thick base/trunk was not, and it quickly grew from the base/trunk in the spring.

 

[Geonerd]

Same here in Tucson. I've had a big plant growing beside the house for ~5 years. Hard frost nukes most of the branches, but by April new shoots come charging out of the rootball. The plant seems a little more cold tolerant than my other overwintered peppers. We've had a few mid-30 nights, but the leaves are still nice and green and hundreds of pods continue to ripen.

 

[The_NorthEast_ChileMan]

Same here in Tucson. I've had a big plant growing beside the house for ~5 years. Hard frost nukes most of the branches, but by April new shoots come charging out of the rootball. The plant seems a little more cold tolerant than my other overwintered peppers. We've had a few mid-30 nights, but the leaves are still nice and green and hundreds of pods continue to ripen.

Yes but Tucson is 9b?