U.S. National Arboretum Plant Introduction

Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl'

The USDA Vegetable Lab and U.S. National Arboretum are pleased to 

present 'Black Pearl' ornamental pepper, an All-America Selection® 

winner in 2006. The lustrous black leaves and upright habit of 'Black Pearl' create 

drama in containers or the garden border. From summer to fall, this heat loving 

annual produces clusters of round fruits that emerge black and turn to cherry red! 

The color black is a classic in design and a novelty in nature. Capture the unique 

and classic in your garden landscape—plant 'Black Pearl'.

Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 3501 New York Ave., N.E., Washington, DC 20002

Recognition: All-America Selection®, 2006
'Black Pearl' Ornamental Pepper

Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl'

Family: Solanaceae

Hardiness: Summer annual, USDA Zones 4-10, AHS Heat Zones 10-5

Development: 'Black Pearl' was jointly developed by Dr. John Stommel, USDA, Vegetable 

Laboratory and Dr. Robert J. Griesbach, U.S. National Arboretum. It resulted 

from a cross between a purple-foliaged plant (94C27) and a green-foliaged plant 

bearing clusters of small round fruits (86-Arb-1). The purple-foliaged parent 

was selected from an open-pollinated population of 'Royal Black', a bushy, 

variegated purple, green and black cultivar. Selections were made for vigorous 

plants with dark foliage pigmentation and clusters of upright fruits. Following 

a series of controlled pollinations to stabilize seed production, 'Black Pearl' 

was then trialed under field conditions in IL, MD and FL and nationally in the 

All-America Selections trials in 2004. 'Black Pearl' was developed through a 

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Pan American Seed 

Company, Elburn, IL. Application has been made for Plant Variety Protection.

Significance: 'Black Pearl' was selected for its unique black foliage color, upright habit, round, 

black fruit and excellent garden performance in nationwide evaluation. It is a 

2006 All-American Selection® winner.

Description: Height and width: Plants average 18 inches high and 12 inches in diameter, 

but may grow to 2-3 feet in height in warmer regions with longer growing 

seasons. 

Habit: Herbaceous annual with compact upright growth habit. Maintains 

shape without pruning.

Foliage: Very young foliage greenish, maturing to black on upper and lower 

leaf surfaces. Leaves are alternate, simple, glossy black above and average 

3 inches in length and 1.4 inches in width. 

Flowers: Flowers purple, average 1 inch in diameter, borne in clusters 

(fasicles), not ornamental. Summer flowering.

Fruit: Produced in upright clusters of 6-8 round fruits, 0.6 inch diameter, per 

cluster. Immature fruits are very shiny black mature to cherry red, and are hot 

to taste. Period of mature fruit display lasts 80-120 (140) days. 

Culture: For best growth and black leaf color development, grow in full sun. Plants 

withstand high heat and humidity and do not require pruning to maintain 

growth habit. Plants prefer well-drained loam or sandy loam soil with some 

organic matter, and tolerate a wide range of soil pH.

Propagation: By seed. 

Landscape Use: Bedding plants, containers, mixed containers, background plantings, dramatic 

contrast against stone or brick walls.

Availability: Seed widely available from wholesale and retail seed distributors. For 

additional information contact Dr. John Stommel, Vegetable Laboratory, or Dr. 

Robert J. Griesbach, USNA, Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit, USDAARS, Beltsville, Agricultural Research Center, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, 

MD 20705. 

U.S. National Arboretum Plant Introduction

Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit

U.S. National Arboretum: www.usna.usda.gov

March 2006 The U.S. Department of Agriculture is an Equal Opportunity Employer.