NuMex Centennial
Compact ornamental piquin-type chile pepper with purple foliage and flowers, producing small upright fruit that ripen from purple through yellow and orange to bright red. Mild heat makes the colorful pods edible as well as decorative for containers, gardens, and culinary garnishes.
Growing
~95 days to maturity
Fruit size
1.5–2.5 cm
Flavor & Use
Bright and fresh flavor with subtle bitterness and mild pungency that increases slightly as the fruit ripens through its color stages. The taste is straightforward and pleasant, though the primary value lies in the ornamental display rather than complex culinary flavor.
Culinary
About
NuMex Centennial is a striking ornamental variety of Capsicum annuum developed at New Mexico State University. The compact plants have distinctive purple leaves and purple flowers, setting them apart from many other chiles. The small, smooth, upright fruit (about 2 cm long) emerge deep purple and mature through a vibrant sequence of yellow, orange, and finally red. While bred primarily for its visual appeal in pots and landscapes, the fruit are pungent and edible, offering a bright, fresh flavor with mild heat. It was selected from Mexican germplasm without hybridization and is well-suited to container growing due to its polychotomous branching habit.
Backstory
Developed by New Mexico State University (NMSU) Chile Pepper Institute breeders to mark the university's centennial. It is a selection from NMCA accession 10009 originally from Chihuahua, Mexico. Released as the first NMSU ornamental chile intended for small containers and pot plants. Features unique purple foliage and flowers with rainbow-colored fruit.
Appearance
Growing
Heritage
We don't have a documented family for this pepper yet.