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Fruit EdibleAnnual Biennial

Capsicum annuum 'Big Devil'

chilli pepper 'Big Devil'

A traditional red hot chilli pepper. It has green leaves and usually white flowers, though occasionally tinged purple. It produces a heavy crop of long slender fruit. The plant is actually a woody perennial but is almost always grown as an annual in the UK as it is hard to keep alive over the cooler months

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Neutral, Acid

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

H1C

Botanical details

Family: Solanaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright, Spreading branched
Potentially harmful: Humans/Pets: Irritant if eaten, skin/eye irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus: Capsicum are annual or perennial plants, with simple, alternate leaves, and tubular or bell-shaped flowers. They are grown for their glossy, many-seeded edible fruits, including chilli and bell peppers, and as indoor ornamental plants
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in pots of fertile peat-free compost under glass or on a sheltered sunny patio. Alternatively grow in good garden soil in a polytunnel. See how to grow: chilli peppers for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

Pinch out the growing tip of shoots to encourage a bushier plant. Keep picking fruit to encourage further flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, glasshouse whitefly and aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds

Get involved

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