Perennial Capsicum

Capsicum annuum (nightshade)

Also known as: Perennial Sweet Capsicum

A small bushy capsicum with an unusual trick — it doesn't have to be replanted each year. Given winter protection, the same plant will keep cropping for up to five seasons. Tapered green fruit ripens to red, harvested at any stage between. Often used as grafting rootstock to pass its longevity on to other capsicum varieties.

Days to harvest 70 days
Fruit size Up to 8cm tapered
Sowing depth 6mm
Germination 10–14 days at 24–30 °C
Spacing 45cm apart
Aspect Full sun (tolerates light shade)
Frost tolerance Frost sensitive — must be protected to maintain perennial habit

Growing notes

Choose a full-sun spot with shelter from cold winds. This variety also tolerates light shade — useful for hot-summer sites.

Soil preparation: Amend soil with aged compost or well-rotted manure to ensure fertility and drainage; maintain a pH between 5.5 and 6.8.

Support: Light staking helps as the bush grows and fruit develops. Mature plants can reach 1.5m if grown in warmer years.

Watering & feeding: Water deeply to keep soil evenly moist but not soggy; feed with a balanced fertiliser every 2–3 weeks during active growth. Reduce watering significantly over winter for overwintered plants.

Harvest: Pick at any stage — green for crunchy mild flavour or red for sweet ripeness. Cut with secateurs leaving a short stem attached. Regular harvest extends production.

Timing: Expect first harvest 70 days after transplanting. Subsequent seasons start producing earlier than first-year plants.

Key features

  • Open-pollinated heirloom capsicum
  • Truly perennial — bushes can live up to 5 years if protected from frost
  • Small tapered fruit to 8cm, ripening green through red
  • Harvest at any stage — green for crunch, red for sweetness
  • Disease resistant
  • Also serves as grafting rootstock for other capsicum varieties

Short season tips

Although classified as a perennial, this capsicum is frost sensitive. In inland NSW it will not survive winter outdoors — overwinter in a hothouse, polytunnel, or warm sunroom to keep the plant going year after year. Otherwise, grow as you would an annual. Best started indoors on heat mats — capsicums need 24–30 °C heat to germinate. Sow 6–8 weeks before the last frost. Transplant when soil temperature has reliably warmed to at least 15°C.

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall

Perennial — up to 5 years if protected from frost

  • Basil Marigolds Beans Nasturtiums
  • Other nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes — shared diseases if grown close together) Fennel Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, kale) Apricot trees (can transfer fungal disease — flagged in horticultural sources)

Origins unknown — long-grown as an heirloom in cool-climate gardens where its perennial habit provided continuity through years when annual capsicums failed to mature. The graft-rootstock use developed alongside, allowing growers to extend the perennial habit to other capsicum varieties.