Description

A festival of color in one plant. Chinese Five Color (Capsicum annuum) ripens through a full palette, with peppers shifting from deep purple to cream, yellow, orange, and finally red. Each stage holds on the plant at once, so the bushes glow like lanterns while delivering lively heat and bright, peppery flavor.

Compact, vigorous plants reach about 18 to 24 inches with a branching, upright habit that loads every node with fruit. Glossy green leaves frame clusters of tidy, conical pods held upright. Peppers average 1 to 2 inches, with thin to medium walls that dry quickly for flakes or powder. As they color, the fruits keep their shape and stand above the foliage, giving long ornamental value before harvest.

Bite into one and the heat arrives fast, a clean spark that builds to medium-hot intensity, typically around 5,000 to 30,000 Scoville Heat Units, with hints of citrus and green herb. In the kitchen these peppers shine minced into stir-fries, salsas, and relishes, or dried for confetti-like flakes that season noodles, soups, and grilled meats. The pods also pickle well, keeping their color and snap.

Selected from Asian ornamental and culinary lines and cherished by home gardeners for generations, Chinese Five Color bridges beauty and utility. It is a reliable, heavy-setting heirloom that turns a bed or container into a showpiece while supplying plenty of flavorful heat for the pantry.