Plant Care Library

Other Names:  Chili Pepper, Peruvian Yellow Chili Pepper

Group/Class:  Hot Horn

Description:

A tall variety, producing thick skinned, bright golden orange fruit when mature; performs well in large containers and in gardens; fruit has a hot but fruity flavor profile, perfect for seafood dishes, poultry, dried, or fresh in salsas and salads

Edible Qualities

Aji Amarillo Pepper is an annual vegetable plant that is commonly grown for its edible qualities, although it does have ornamental merits as well. It produces green narrow peppers (which are technically 'berries') with yellow overtones which are typically harvested when mature. The fruit will often fade to orange over time. The peppers have a spicy taste and a crisp texture.

The peppers are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Drying
• Seasoning
• Sauces

Planting & Growing

Aji Amarillo Pepper will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 3 feet apart. Because of its vigorous growth habit, it may require staking or supplemental support. This vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant can be integrated into a landscape or flower garden by creative gardeners, but is usually grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and it is considered by many to be an heirloom variety.

Aji Amarillo Pepper is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.