What is it pepper plants do every winter? Do they hibernate like trees or die like peas?

Peppers are evergreen perennials. That means, they do not hibernate, but either live or die. One can slow down their growth, indoors, but cannot make them to hibernate.

Misty: I'm in zone 10 also. and though I usually start my peppers much earlier, I just started mine a week ago this year.

Start them inside now under lights and the annuums you'll be able to get outside by mid/late April and the superhots about a month later. You'll have time to get AT least a couple flushes, no problem.

Frost will kill them, but many growers overwinter them inside by pruning the root system and foliage and "sort of" put them in hibernation by sticking in a south facing window, water sparingly and make sure the aphids aren't nailing them throughout the winter.

Type overwintering peppers in the search box. many threads on this. I find people in zone 10 do it just to see if they can or have a special plant they've been overwintering for years. To me, it's just too simple to start fresh again -- by the time I pull my plants in Late Dec/Jan, I'm already starting seeds inside for the next spring.

Kevin