Sweet, spicy, crispy, and fresh. Peppers are a culinary necessity for those who like to add some flavor to their meals. Thankfully, peppers are a fairly easy crop to grow and will produce delicious fruit for use in the kitchen.
If you’re looking to add a nice new crop to your budding veg garden, or just want to try your hand at growing a new plant, take a look at these pepper plants and get some inspiration for your newest addition.
Types of Pepper Plants
1. Green Bell Boy Peppers
Easily one of the most popular pepper options out there, the Green Bell Boy plant produces delicious, sweet fruit. Pop it in the full sun, either covered up outside or in a greenhouse, and reap the benefits when it’s time to harvest.
2. Scotch Bonnet
Maybe a bit too hot for some to handle, Scotch Bonnet peppers are renowned for their flavor and ability to make grown men cry with it’s 300,000 Scoville units of heat.
A small pepper from this plant is enough for use in multiple meals, making it a useful plant to have in your garden. Be careful though, if you plan on harvesting your Scotch Bonnets, wear gloves and eye protection lest you want to be seared by the capsaicinoids it produces.
3. Golden Bell Pepper
Another excellent choice for those looking to use peppers in their everyday cooking. The Golden Bell pepper is excellent for salads, barbecues, and stuffing with all sorts of ingredients, making it ideal for any meal. Yellow in color and sweet in taste, growing Golden Bell peppers is a great choice for every veg garden.
4. Gypsy Pepper
The Gypsy Pepper is an odd-looking fruit, but one that is perfect for adding taste to all sorts of meals. The narrow, wedge-shaped pepper is sweet and is excellent for frying or grilling, especially in the summer. Gypsy Peppers are easy to grow and will thrive in cold and hot climates if grown with enough care.
5. Jalapeno Pepper
A household name and possibly the most well-known of all chili peppers, the Jalapeno is easy to grow and can add the right amount of heat in the kitchen. Not only does this pepper taste great, but the mix of colors in the fruit can also turn it into a cool household or garden plant. If you’re interested in growing jalapenos, make sure to look at the different variants such as Gigante and Purple jalapenos.
6. Anaheim Pepper
One of the easier peppers to grow and can be planted indoors in pots. Those who cook Mexican or cajun type foods should look into Anaheim peppers, with their hot taste being excellent for chili and salads.
7. California Wonder Bell Pepper
The California Wonder is an essential pepper for those interested in growing the crop altogether. An award-winning heirloom pepper, the California Wonder is an easy to grow and highly versatile plant, with the thick fruit being sweet and tasty. This is a good place for beginners to start and can be eaten as soon as the fruit turns green and chunky, or left until it is red for extra nutritional value.
8. Yellow Cayenne Pepper
Another well-known chili pepper, the Cayenne pepper will stick out in the garden thanks to its yellow skin and narrow shape. Cayenne peppers are extra hot, but can also be dried and ground into chili powder.
Grow it with some tomatoes or coriander for easy pairings both in the ground and in a meal. Check out our companion guide here for more coupling ideas for your garden. Cayenne pepper can also be green or red, so there are many options for a visually appealing garden.
9. Thai Dragon Chili Pepper
Adding to the list of spicy peppers, Thai Chili Peppers are an essential ingredient in Thai curry, giving it that rounded heat that it’s known for. Plant these out in front of the sun, and get ready to harvest a crop of red hot chilis to stir into your curry or stew.
10. Pepperoncini Pepper
A Greek and Italian pepper, pepperoncini is commonly seen in antipasto or hotter pasta. The pepper is distinct in its yellow, rounded body that will draw the eye of anyone wandering the garden. Despite being a chili pepper, the pepperoncini produce a mild taste with a slight kick, perfect for certain dishes.
11. Sweet Red Pepper
One of the joys of growing your own fruits and vegetables is that you can have access to some of the best ingredients right in your backyard.
Sweet red pepper is one of these and important in making so many dishes tastier. These long, slender peppers look amazing hanging from the stem and will brighten up the vegetable garden with its luster.
12. Jupiter Pepper
A strong and well-formed pepper that grows well in warm climates and produce a four-lobed, thick-walled fruit. A quintessential pepper that can usually be seen in its red or green colorings will add texture to the garden or amongst other vegetables. Jupiter peppers are widely used in pasta sauces, due to the thickness and sweet taste.
13. Tabasco Pepper
It’s likely that you will have heard of Tabasco sauce, which is derived from this form of pepper. With a unique taste that is somewhat smokey and complete with a taste that ground or liquified will no doubt turn the heat up on any dish. Tabasco peppers produce a high yield throughout the year, especially in warm climates.
14. Nardello Peppers
Nardello peppers are rich in taste and an exquisite ingredient if you can get hold of seeds that is. The curved, small chili grows nicely in warmer climates and can be eaten raw for a fruity taste or cooked in a variety of manners for a cornucopia of flavors.
15. Poblano Peppers
For our final pepper, we refer to the Mexican gem that is the poblano pepper. Stuffed, fried, grilled or stewed, this pepper will add a mild, but fruity taste. Dried and crushed, poblano peppers work excellently in sauces. The green, odd-shaped pepper will look cool in any garden and will be useful in the kitchen throughout the year.
With so much versatility in the kitchen and relative ease to grow, peppers are always a must for those with a vegetable patch. Not only are they fun to grow and maintain, especially when they start taking shape, but their use will be satisfying when it comes to harvesting them.
If you’re looking for other plants to add to your vegetable garden, why not check out mint or tomatoes.