// SPECIES PROFILE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

Bell Pepper

Capsicum annuum (Grossum Group)

Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum (Grossum Group)) is a cultivated annual food crop grown for its edible fruit. Family: Solanaceae (nightshade family). Originally from Mexico & Central America. Grown as an annual in zones 4a–11a. Mature size 18"–3'. Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: Jul–Oct.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Solanaceae (nightshade family)
Group: crop · annual
Origin: Mexico & Central America · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 4a–11a (as an annual)
Mature size: 18"–3'
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Edible parts: fruit
Harvest (NE OK): Jul–Oct
Garden role: sweet pepper · heat-tolerant once established · heaviest fruit set in spring & fall

Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum (Grossum Group)) — *Capsicum annuum (Grossum Group)* — Bell Pepper. Photo by Kham Tran - www.khamtran.com via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: sweet pepper · heat-tolerant once established · heaviest fruit set in spring & fall. A cultivated food crop — not a native — grown alongside regional natives in Rooted Revival's kitchen-garden and food-forest designs. Harvest windows are for northeastern Oklahoma (USDA zone 7a).

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen garden or food-forest guild, bell pepper pairs well with: Basil (Ocimum basilicum), Heirloom Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), Onion (Allium cepa), Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus).