- Open-pollinated
- Medium
- 90 days to maturity (from transplant)
- 10,000–30,000 SHU
- Black
Black Pearl
Open-pollinated medium pepper from United States, 2006. Sharp heat in a small round pod; grown for the near-black foliage rather than for flavour. Ready in about 90 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Medium 10,000–30,000 SHU
- Pod
- Round <1 oz (2–5 g) (estimated)
Small round pods in tight clusters, glossy black ripening to red.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 90 days from transplant · Mid-late
- Plant height
- 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) Compact
- Spacing
- 18 × 18 in (46 × 46 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Balcony friendly min. 3 gal (12 L) pot (estimated)
- Difficulty
- Easy-moderate (estimated) 2/5
- Skin
-
- Black
- Red
Heat
Scoville heat units
Medium
Black Pearl Scoville heat units: 10,000–30,000 SHU
Noticeable heat. Mucho Nacho, the jumbo jalapeño, sits at the bottom of this band and Hungarian Yellow Wax near the middle. Hot enough to lead a salsa, mild enough to eat whole.
Flavor
“Sharp heat in a small round pod; grown for the near-black foliage rather than for flavour.”
Growing calendar
90 days from transplant Mid-late
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 7–9 weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Drying
- Sauce & paste
- Novelty color
- Award winner
- Container star
- Gift worthy
Origin
Black Pearl is an ornamental bred by the United States Department of Agriculture and an All-America Selections winner in 2006, grown for glossy black foliage carrying clusters of round black fruit that ripen red. True Leaf Market lists it at 10,000 to 30,000 Scoville heat units over about 90 days. The pods are edible and genuinely hot, but the plant earns its place in a border or a pot rather than in the kitchen: the leaves darken to near-black in full sun and hold that colour all season.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyLinks may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Oct 16, 2026.
All photos
Questions
How do you grow a Black Pearl plant?
A Black Pearl plant grows 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) tall. Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart in rows 18 in (46 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 7–9 weeks before your last frost. It needs full sun.
How long does Black Pearl take to mature?
Black Pearl is ready in about 90 days from transplant.
How hot is Black Pearl?
Black Pearl sits in the medium range, about 10,000–30,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Black Pearl be grown in a container?
Yes — Black Pearl grows well in a container of at least 12 L (3 gal).
Is Black Pearl resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Black Pearl.
