The 5 Main Species of Capsicum

Let's talk about the Capsicum genus

Example image using corn to get the idea of plant taxonomy:

Source: Science 101: Plant Classification (Iowa Ag Literacy)

As you may already know, when someone refers to a "pepper," they are really referring to a member of the genus Capsicum. Capsicum is a flowering plant genus in the Solanaceae family (nightshade). These plants are native to the Americas, with the vast majority coming from Central and South America.

Within the Capsicum genus, there is a wide variety of species. Depending on the source, there are around 20-27 species. The exact count varies, but the key point is that there are a lot of them.

Here are the five species you are most likely to encounter:

1. Capsicum annuum (annual)
2. Capsicum baccatum (berry-shaped)
3. Capsicum chinense (Chinese)
4. Capsicum frutescens (shrubby)
5. Capsicum pubescens (hairy)

These are by far the most popular five species. Others are mostly wild species or species found in very specific regions.

Let's talk briefly about each one.

Capsicum annuum (annual)

This is the most widely cultivated pepper species. There are so many cultivars within this species that it is honestly absurd.

The name annuum is a bit of a misnomer, because these are not true annuals; they are tropical perennials. People often treat peppers as annuals because they are frost-sensitive and get removed each season in colder climates, but they can absolutely survive year after year in the right conditions.

Identifying species by sight alone is tough. Flower and seed traits are usually your best clues. C. annuum plants usually have white flowers with no spots (a trait it shares with C. chinense and C. frutescens), and this species includes a huge range of fruit shapes and sizes.

C. annuum includes many common peppers: bell peppers, jalapenos, serranos, Thai chilies, and more.

Capsicum baccatum (berry-shaped)

The name baccatum means "berry-shaped," but this is only partly accurate. Some varieties are berry-like, but many are longer, such as aji lemon, aji amarillo, and piquante.

In fact, many modern domesticated baccatum types were bred away from tiny berry-like fruits toward longer, more substantial pods.

This species stands out due to its white flowers with spots and distinct chemistry. It is primarily native to and domesticated in Peru, Bolivia, and nearby areas.

Capsicum chinense

C. chinense ("Chinese") is basically a complete misnomer. It was named by Dutch botanist Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin in 1776 because he thought it originated from China, even though it did not.

These plants can look similar to C. annuum and C. frutescens, but they often have:

• two or more flowers per node
• wrinklier fruits
• a fruitier/floral aroma profile

Many of the "hot scary ones" are in this species: habaneros, scotch bonnets, ghost peppers, scorpion peppers, Carolina reapers, and others.

Capsicum frutescens

This is probably the most loosely defined of the major cultivated species. The name frutescens suggests shrubby growth, which fits some plants (like tabasco), but not all.

Many of its so-called defining traits (white flowers, occasional green tint, smaller fruits, fruits separating easily from the calyx) also appear in some C. chinense and C. annuum cultivars. In practice, confusion happens.

Capsicum pubescens (hairy)

This is one of the better names: the leaves are notably hairy. These plants are often characterized by purple flowers, black seeds, and frequently high heat.

C. pubescens is also interesting because it is one of the few Capsicum species that does not readily hybridize with other species. Many other pepper species can cross (with varying success), but pubescens tends to have a stronger reproductive barrier.

This species evolved at high altitude in the Andes, is generally more cold-tolerant than many other peppers, and diverged from other Capsicum groups a long time ago.

An interesting note

While reading about the origins of Capsicum species (mostly Central and South America), I wondered if any peppers might be native to where I live, the Carolinas.

The answer seems to be no. The closest thing is C. annuum var. glabriusculum (bird pepper), and even that is more associated with Gulf Coast regions like Texas and Florida.

Peppers are, in large part, a uniquely Central and South American plant.

At least we have a great climate for growing them.