Ornamental peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) belong to the plant family Solanaceae, which includes ornamentals such as the Brugmansia (Angel’s trumpet), Brunfelsia, Browallia (Bush violet), Datura, Nicotiana, Petunia, and Salpiglossis. Solanum pseudocapsicum (Jerusalem Cherry) and Solanum capsicastrum (False Jerusalem Cherry) are often confused with ornamental pepper.
The genus Capsicum is native to the tropics of Central and South America. Pepper cultivation is ancient in the Americas where they were valued for their culinary and medicinal properties (Pickersgill, 1969a
