Is Capsaicin in Peppers Affected by Cross-Pollination? - Ask Extension
I have a batch of Carolina Reapers that I started from seed. I also went a bit crazy at the local garden center and brought home a dozen other varieti...
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Is Capsaicin in Peppers Affected by Cross-Pollination? #561170
Asked May 14, 2019, 11:03 AM EDT
I have a batch of Carolina Reapers that I started from seed. I also went a bit crazy at the local garden center and brought home a dozen other varieties of peppers.
I know that if the Reapers cross-pollinate with the less-spicy peppers, the resulting seeds will grow into hybrid plants.
Will the capsaicin levels in the fruit of my current Reaper plants be affected by cross-pollination with the other peppers? Should I plant the Reapers away from the other peppers to ensure they are as spicy as possible?
I know that if the Reapers cross-pollinate with the less-spicy peppers, the resulting seeds will grow into hybrid plants.
Will the capsaicin levels in the fruit of my current Reaper plants be affected by cross-pollination with the other peppers? Should I plant the Reapers away from the other peppers to ensure they are as spicy as possible?
Wayne County Michigan
Expert Response
The
answer is no. Just as a pregnant woman does not take on the appearance of the man
who impregnated her. However, the seeds of your Carolina Reaper might grow into a plant that might produce less capsaicin. Just as how a baby might grow up to have mother’s eyes, and father’s
hair color. Unless you are saving seed, cross-pollination is nothing to worry
about with peppers grown together.
