How to Identify Hybrid Chile Plants

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Q: Hi Dave,

I bought commercial seeds this year and plan on saving seeds from this year’s garden.  I was wondering, since I have a lot of annuum peppers planted next to chinense peppers, if I would be able to tell if they cross-pollinated when I have fruit from them next year? And are they safe to eat if they did cross-pollinate?

–Gabriel

 

A: Hello Gabriel:

The key is pod diversity on the plant.  F1 hybrids between two species (or two different varieties of the same species) show pods of varying shape on the same plant.  All chile peppers, regardless of breeding, are edible.

–Dave

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