Ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum 'Onyx Red')
Capsicum annuum 'Onyx Red' offers stunning dark foliage, purple blooms, and fruits maturing black to red. This low-maintenance Ornamental pepper thrives in full sun.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
The Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’ is highly valued in the garden for its dramatic visual contrast, easily earning its place as a premier ornamental pepper. This selection features deep, nearly black foliage, complementing its unique purple flowers. Gardeners appreciate its compact nature and the sequential color shift of its small, round fruits.
As a frost-tender perennial often grown as an annual, this Ornamental pepper demands consistent warmth, making it an excellent choice for high summer interest. It matures into a tidy, dense mound, perfect for containers or edging displays where its dark features can truly pop against brighter surroundings.
For low maintenance beauty, establishing Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’] early in the season ensures a successful harvest of foliage and fruit throughout summer. Its versatility makes it a modern staple for both container gardening and in-ground mixed borders.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Solanaceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 9-11
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 0.5-1 ft
- Spread: 0.75-1 ft
- Bloom Description: Purple
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Starting Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’] requires warmth. Plant seeds indoors in peat pots about 6 to 8 weeks prior to your last expected frost date, sowing three seeds per pot and thinning to the strongest single seedling. Transplant into the final location only after night temperatures consistently remain above 55°F, as peppers strongly dislike any chilling.
Successful cultivation depends on providing excellent conditions: full sun, moist, organically rich, and very well-drained soil are essential. Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows similarly spaced. To encourage a bushier, more aesthetically pleasing plant, pinch young Ornamental pepper plants when they are still small.
Consistent watering is key; do not allow seedlings or established plants to suffer from drought or cold stress. A layer of mulch helps retain soil moisture and moderates soil temperature. Remember crop rotation: avoid planting Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’ where tomatoes or eggplants grew recently to minimize soil-borne disease issues.
This variety adapts beautifully to container gardening. If you live outside Zones 9-11, you can often overwinter your Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’ indoors, provided you can offer a significantly sunny location during the winter months.
Landscape Uses
The striking dark foliage and contrasting fruit make the Ornamental pepper an outstanding focal point in mixed container arrangements. Combine the upright habit of Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’ with trailing annuals in vibrant colors like bright gold or white petunias for maximum visual impact in hanging baskets or window boxes.
Utilize its compact, uniform size for crisp, low border edging along pathways or in front of taller sun-loving perennials. This pepper works well in mass plantings, creating a rich, dark carpet punctuated by ripening fruit, adding textural interest often lacking in mixed annual beds.
This plant serves as an excellent “thriller” component in container designs, anchoring the display while its dark leaves subtly complement neighboring plants. Planning its placement near structures that receive intense reflected heat is often beneficial, as peppers thrive in heat.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Insignificant
Fruit Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Most cultivated peppers, also known as chili peppers, can be categorized as one of three general types: sweet peppers, hot peppers or ornamental peppers. However, these categories are general at best. Some hot peppers aren’t hot, all peppers can be highly ornamental, many ornamental peppers are hot, etc. — and none of these categories necessarily mirror botanical nomenclature distinctions. Peppers were one of the earliest plants cultivated in the New World. Archeological evidence suggests that peppers were used as food ingredients in Peru more than 8,000 years ago. Columbus mistakenly applied the label ‘pepper’ to the plant he found growing in Caribbean gardens, likely confusing it with the highly prized but botanically unrelated black pepper.‘Onyx Red’ is a compact, well-branched selection of ornamental pepper that notably features dark purple, nearly black foliage, purple flowers, and small, round fruits that mature sequentially from black to red.
Tolerances
(No data provided)
Potential Problems
Common issues impacting Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’] often involve fungal and bacterial problems such as leaf spot, wilt, and stem/root rot. Ensuring excellent drainage and avoiding overhead watering can significantly reduce the risk of fungal disease development. Mosaic virus is another possible threat.
Monitor regularly for common insect pests including aphids, white flies, cutworms, pepper maggots, and the Colorado potato beetle. If pests are found, use targeted insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils appropriate for pepper plants. Never permit young plants to become stressed by cool temperatures or drought, as stress makes them vulnerable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Ornamental pepper suitable for?
The Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’ is suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 9 through 11 when grown outdoors year-round, though it is most commonly grown as an annual elsewhere.
How large does Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’ grow?
This Ornamental pepper generally reaches a compact height between 0.5 and 1 foot tall, with a similar spread ranging from 0.75 to 1 foot wide.
What sun exposure does Ornamental pepper need?
Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’] requires full sun exposure to develop its best color and fruit production.
When does Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’ bloom?
While the bloom time is generally not specified, the flowers on this variety are described as purple.
Conclusion
The Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’ provides exceptional summer drama through its dark leaves and unique fruit progression, offering low maintenance beauty until frost cuts it down. Embrace this striking Ornamental pepper by ensuring you start seeds in warm conditions and provide ample sunlight throughout the growing season. Check your local frost dates now to finalize your spring planting schedule!
Companion Planting
Selecting suitable neighbors is crucial for the success of any pepper, including the Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’]. Since it demands warm soil and consistent moisture, pair it with other heat-loving annuals that share similar needs, such as basil, marigolds (especially French varieties), or vinca. Avoid planting near potatoes, as they share susceptibility to blight and other soil-borne pathogens.
The dark foliage of this specific Ornamental pepper serves as a perfect foil for brilliant companions. Consider planting near silvery lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) for texture contrast or pairing it with trailing sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas) in vibrant lime green to enhance the depth of the black leaves.
When planting in the ground, focus on improving the soil structure around Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’] with compost to ensure excellent drainage, which is vital for preventing root rots common to the Solanaceae family members. Good airflow between companions also helps ward off potential leaf spot issues.
Container Growing
Growing Capsicum annuum ‘Onyx Red’] in containers is highly recommended, especially for gardeners outside of Zones 9-11, as it simplifies the process of moving the plant indoors before the first frost. Use pots that allow for at least 1 cubic foot of soil volume to support the root system adequately.
Effective container culture relies heavily on drainage. Ensure your pots have ample holes and use a light, fertile potting mix amended with perlite if necessary for better aeration. Since containers dry out faster, adhere strictly to a medium watering schedule, checking daily during peak summer heat.
Fertilizing is often necessary for containerized annuals like this Ornamental pepper. Apply a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer every two to three weeks once flowering begins, or use a slow-release granular fertilizer at planting time to sustain vigorous growth and dark foliage development throughout its season.
