“Riot” pepper plants in their full summer glory
The fruit on our ornamental peppers plants is so bright that the plants look like Christmas trees with colorful, blazing lights. The peppers are truly a joy to behold, especially since the recent heat and drought conditions we’ve had here have caused most of the plants in our yard to become burnt-out and brown. Not so with the peppers, which are ablaze with glorious orange, yellow, purple and red ornaments.
Plans to turn the peppers (which are spicy hot) into purple and orange hot sauces and salsas have been postponed, simply because I can’t stand the thought of removing the beautifult peppers from the plants: it would be like destroying a work of art.
Although I planted three varieties of ornamental pepper plants this year, I don’t have a clear favorite, though I expected to. I admire Numex Twilight for it large, leafy presence and abundant multi-colored fruit. Riot is notable for the sheer number of colorful peppers it produces on its diminutive frame, and Prairie Fire wins the prize for reminding me the most of a Christmas tree, all lit up in yellow, orange and red.
