The fruit of the Purple Rain pepper displaying the plant’s characteristic variegated leaf pigmentation. (Photo by Margaret Pooler).

ARS Introduces Purple Rain as the “Prince” of Ornamental Peppers

ARS researchers in Beltsville, MD, have made an exciting development – they have propagated a “prince” of an ornamental pepper, called Purple Rain. This new ornamental pepper provides small farmers with a high-value alternative crop. Purple Rain is small in stature with vibrant green, purple, and white variegated foliage that contrasts with its black, immature and red mature fruit colors. Purple Rain peppers are easily propagated from seed and have a short cropping time. They are also heat and drought-tolerant and maintain an excellent “keeping quality,” allowing for longer storage.  

This ARS discovery affords growers a new crop to add to their potted plants and to their bedding, color, and landscape plant assortments. Learn more...

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.