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Cayenne Pepper

Capsicum annuum

—
Not scored

Native status: sources disagree, under review. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 65%

Height
1 foot–3 feet 8 inches
Spread
6 inches–1 foot
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 1 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 100 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

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At a glance

Life cycle
Annual
Leaves
Deciduous

Not yet recorded · Bloom

Recorded in 2 Louisiana parishes.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

22CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Capsicum

  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Anatrachyntis rileyiPink Scavanger Caterpillar
  • Anomis erosaYellow Scallop Moth, Mallow Caterpillar
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Feltia repletaReplete Dart
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Herpetogramma bipunctalisSouthern Beet Webworm, Two-Spotted Herpetogramma
Show all 22
  • Lineodes integraEggplant Leafroller
  • Manduca quinquemaculatusFive-Spotted Hawkmoth, Tomato Hornworm
  • Manduca sextaCarolina Sphinx, Tomatoe Sphinx, Tobacco Hornworm
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Rhectocraspeda periusalisEggplant Webworm
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Capsicum

  • Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Solanaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–11b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Purple or white

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNA
Global rankG5
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources