Capsicum annuum

Capsicum annuum — the species behind most sweet and chilli peppers, domesticated in the Americas and carried worldwide by the Columbian Exchange. The botanical home of our pepper range.

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  • Sweet Pepper Timia Orange Pointed seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable Sweet Pepper Timia Orange Pointed (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Sweet Pepper Seeds Timia Capsicum Annuum Orange Annual Pointed
    €4,95

    Orange pointed sweet peppers for compact spaces sweet pepper seeds ‘Timia’ are a reliable choice for gardeners looking for an orange, pointed pepper with an attractive shape and a sweet, mild flavour. This long sweet...
  • Sweet Pepper California Wonder seeds (Capsicum annuum) – organic annual vegetable Sweet Pepper California Wonder (Capsicum annuum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Sweet Pepper California Wonder Seeds Organic Capsicum Annuum Annual
    €4,95

    Organic California Wonder sweet pepper seed variety sweet pepper california wonder seeds are an organic vegetable option for gardeners who want a dependable, classic bell pepper type with a tidy, compact habit. This annual pepper...
  • Cayenne Pepper Long Slim seeds (Capsicum annuum) – organic annual vegetable Cayenne Pepper Long Slim (Capsicum annuum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Cayenne Pepper Seeds Organic Capsicum Annuum Annual Long Slim
    €4,95

    Organic cayenne variety for long, slim pods cayenne pepper seeds offer an organic option for gardeners who want a classic long slim cayenne pepper with a pronounced, fiery taste. This annual pepper plant is valued...
  • Hungarian Yellow Wax Pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable
    Hungarian Yellow Wax Pepper Seeds Capsicum Annuum Annual
    €5,95

    Traditional Hungarian pepper with glossy ripening fruits hungarian yellow wax pepper seeds produce a classic Hungarian wax pepper variety valued for its smooth, fleshy peppers and reliable garden performance. The fruits ripen through a striking...
  • Fresno Red Pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable
    Fresno Red Pepper Seeds Capsicum Annuum Annual
    €5,95

    Fresno Red pepper seeds for vibrant harvests fresno red pepper seeds are a popular choice for gardeners who want an annual chili with eye-catching color changes and reliable performance. This fresno chili pepper variety produces...
  • Pepper Mixture Mix 5 Varieties seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable Pepper Mixture Mix 5 Varieties (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Pepper Mixture Seeds Capsicum Annuum Annual Mix 5 Varieties
    €5,56€6,95

    Five-variety pepper mix for sunny gardens pepper mixture seeds offer a varied selection of annual fruiting vegetables for gardeners who enjoy diversity in shape, color, and heat level. This Capsicum annuum blend brings together five...
  • Pepper Goccia D'oro Early seeds (Capsicum annuum) – vegetable Pepper Goccia D'oro Early (Capsicum annuum) – vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Pepper Goccia D'oro Seeds Capsicum Annuum Early Variety
    €4,95

    Early Italian sweet pepper with golden pods pepper goccia d'oro seeds are a vegetable variety of sweet pepper valued for early performance and attractive fruit color changes through the season. This Italian sweet pepper variety...
  • Sweet Pepper Atris F1 seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable Sweet Pepper Atris F1 (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Sweet Pepper Seeds Atris F1 Capsicum Annuum Annual
    €6,95

    Sweet pepper seeds for Atris F1 harvest sweet pepper seeds Atris F1 are an early sweet pepper variety grown as annual vegetable seeds, valued for reliable performance and attractive, long fruits. This atris f1 sweet...
  • Padron Pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum) – organic annual vegetable Padron Pepper (Capsicum annuum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Padron Pepper Seeds Organic Capsicum Annuum Annual
    €4,76€5,95

    Organic Padron peppers for tapas style cooking padron pepper seeds are an organic vegetable seed choice for gardeners who want a classic padron pepper variety with small, green fruits commonly picked young for tapas-style dishes....
  • Serrano Pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable
    Serrano Pepper Seeds Capsicum Annuum Annual Variety
    €4,95

    Authentic Serrano Pepper Seeds For Mexican Cooking serrano pepper seeds are a classic choice for gardeners who want an annual pepper plant with a distinctly Mexican character in the kitchen. This variety produces straight, slender...
  • Friggitello Pepper Early seeds (Capsicum annuum) – vegetable Friggitello Pepper Early (Capsicum annuum) – vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Friggitello Pepper Seeds Capsicum Annuum Early Variety
    €4,95

    Friggitello pepper seeds for Italian-style frying friggitello pepper seeds produce an early maturing pepper variety valued for its slender, conical fruits and classic Italian kitchen use. This is a Capsicum annuum type often described as...
  • Snack Paprika Snacking Red Mini Pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable Snack Paprika Snacking Red Mini Pepper (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Snack Paprika Seeds Capsicum Annuum Annual Snacking Red Mini Pepper
    €6,95

    Snack paprika seeds for compact patio harvests snack paprika seeds are a great choice for gardeners who want a compact, annual mini pepper with a bright red finish and a pleasantly sweet, mild flavour. This...
  • Sweet Pepper Piquillo seeds (Capsicum annuum) – organic annual vegetable Sweet Pepper Piquillo (Capsicum annuum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Sweet Pepper Piquillo Seeds Organic Capsicum Annuum Annual
    €3,96€4,95

    Organic Piquillo Pepper Seeds For Compact Plants sweet pepper piquillo seeds are an organic, annual vegetable variety valued for compact pepper plants and neat growth in smaller spaces. This red sweet pepper variety produces small,...
  • Sweet Pepper Reina F1 seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable Sweet Pepper Reina F1 (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Sweet Pepper Seeds Reina F1 Capsicum Annuum Annual Variety
    €5,56€6,95

    Sweet pepper seeds for vigorous annual plants Sweet pepper seeds ‘Reina F1’ are a reliable choice for gardeners looking for an early maturing pepper variety with strong, upright growth and attractive fruit set. This annual...
  • Sweet Pepper Snacking Mini Orange seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable Sweet Pepper Snacking Mini Orange (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Sweet Pepper Seeds Snacking Mini Orange Annual Capsicum Annuum
    €6,95

    Sweet mini orange peppers for snacking sweet pepper seeds are a great choice for gardeners who want compact, snack-size peppers with a bright orange color and a pleasantly mild, sweet taste. This variety is an...
  • Sweet Pepper Palladio F1 Yellow Fruit seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable Sweet Pepper Palladio F1 Yellow Fruit (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Sweet Pepper Seeds Palladio F1 Capsicum Annuum Annual Yellow Fruit
    €6,95

    Sweet pepper seeds for bright yellow harvests sweet pepper seeds Palladio F1 are an annual vegetable choice for gardeners who want long, pointed fruits that turn yellow quickly as they mature. This early maturing pepper...
  • Sweet Pepper Yolo Wonder seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable Sweet Pepper Yolo Wonder (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Sweet Pepper Seeds Yolo Wonder Capsicum Annuum Annual Variety
    €4,95

    Sweet pepper seeds for compact annual plants sweet pepper seeds ‘Yolo Wonder’ are a popular choice for gardeners who want reliable, blocky bell peppers with a classic sweet flavour. This annual variety forms a fairly...
  • Pepper Dolce Di Bergamo seeds (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable Pepper Dolce Di Bergamo (Capsicum annuum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Pepper Dolce Di Bergamo Seeds Capsicum Annuum Annual
    €4,95

    Italian sweet pepper with long, pointed fruits pepper dolce di bergamo seeds are a classic Italian sweet pepper choice valued for their long, thin, pointed fruits and attractive color change as they mature. This is...
  • Sweet Pepper Yellow California Wonder seeds (Capsicum annuum) – organic annual vegetable Sweet Pepper Yellow California Wonder (Capsicum annuum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Sweet Pepper Seeds Yellow California Wonder Organic Capsicum Annuum Annual
    €4,95

    Organic sweet pepper for pots and patios sweet pepper seeds yellow california wonder are an organic vegetable choice for gardeners who want a reliable, compact pepper plant for small spaces. This California Wonder pepper variety...
  • Fruit Mats 4 Pack 20x20 Cm seeds (Capsicum annuum) – seed mats
    Fruit Vegetable Seed Mats Capsicum Annuum 4 Pack 20x20 Cm
    €5,95

    Fruit and vegetable seed mats for containers fruit vegetable seed mats are a practical way to start a small selection of popular kitchen-garden crops with a neat, pre-arranged layout. These pre sown garden seed mats...

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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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Capsicum annuum?
It is the species that covers most sweet peppers and chillies, a tender plant in the nightshade family.

Where do peppers originate?
From Central and South America; they spread worldwide after Columbus, in what is known as the Columbian Exchange.

Are sweet peppers and chillies the same species?
Largely yes — most sweet peppers and chillies are both Capsicum annuum, differing mainly in heat.

What makes chillies hot?
A compound called capsaicin, which the plant evolved to deter mammals while letting birds spread its seeds.

How do I grow peppers from seed?
Sow early indoors in warmth, then grow on under cover or in the sunniest, warmest spot you have.