I just bought a mature back perl yesterday. It already has ripe fruit and they have a great taste and a pleasent heat. Mine is about 2 feet tall and loaded, to the point it's weighted down, with black (immature) and dark cherry red (mature) chiles.
I'm going to make some pepper sauce out of these guys. I think the heat and taste will be great.

I googled black perl yesterday, after I got home with my new plant. They appear to be pretty new, within the last couple years. Apperiantly this plant has won all kinds of awards.
If it takes well to the conditions here, which I think it will, this pepper will be a regular in my garden.

Bill,

I am growing this variety this season. It is a hybrid I believe. I bought one plant from my local nursery because it looked beautiful in the pics I have viewed. I'm growing it for ornamental value mostly, but it sounds like it may have some culinary appeal as well.

Chris

Wow! Very nice looking plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black Pearl info & photo from USDA

Thanks for the info, folks.

Barbara, mine looks exactly like the photo in the article you linked.

Chris, I emailed Ms. McGinnis about whether USDA's version is F1 or open pollinated. I'll report back if she answers.

I checked when I got to the office this morning, and I got my seeds from Totally Tomatoes where they were 10 seeds for 2.50 ... a little better deal than I originally reported ... although I remember seeing them for 3.95 in one catalog. Anyway, I'm hopin' their open pollinated so we can all enjoy them more in the future.

Bill

Okay, here we go with Ms. McGinnis' reply:

"(Bill),

"Thank you for your interest in our research. I spoke with the scientists and they say that Black Pearl is open-pollinated. The cultivar is protected by Plant Variety Protection. I hope that information is helpful to you. Please let me know if I can help in any other way.

"Regards, Laura"

thanks for sharing this info you received

Wow! good looking plant all the way around...I'll be looking for it or seeds/

PJ

One of three I have in containers.

I've just bought a new little Black Pearl to go along with my new "Pretty in Purple" ornamental. They go great together. (If I could figure how to post a photo, I would.) I love how even a really young Black Pearl is so vigorous, bushy, and healthy... Dwight

dwight go to a photo hosting sight and upload your pic to it. there are many sight but i use tinypic.com then copy and paste the html link to your post

here are my peppers hope to see yours soon... Richard
(yes those are arrows as stakes they work well)

Here is a link that might be useful: tiny pic

Ciao Bill,

Duane WANTED to grow this one when he saw it at a local nursery, but he ended up settling for the Bolivian Rainbow and Largo Purple he was already growing. I think he's going to want it for next year, though. Let us know what the flavour is like and what you used it for, ok?

Cheers,
Julianna

Julianna,

I have a few Largo Purple plants. They're nice. I got the seed from TGS and started several. I gave a few away and kept about 4 at last count???

The Purple Largo aren't nearly as exhuberant growers as the Black Pearl, don't have as big a leaf, are not quite as sturdy, but otherwise are very similar in structure.

Actually, Chris's Black Prince are very similar to Black Pearl ... more so than Purple Largo ... but I think Black Prince has a pointed pod rather than a round pod like Black Pearl. At least the pods Chris sent were pointed. My Black Prince have flowered, but haven't yet set pods.

The Purple Largo seem to all have pointed pods too. I have one "off" Purple Largo ... it has plain green foliage, but has the violet flowers and the dark purple pods ... not a hint of purple on the leaves though.

I also kept a couple of Tri-Fetti ... they're not much to brag about yet ... kinda pretty foliage, but not really out to set the world on fire growthwise.

As a side note ... I have one Peter Pepper that is goin' absolutely nuts! It's coverered up with peppers in the last week. I think I'll move a Black Pearl right next to it and hope to make some little purple peters for next year.

I'll start takin' more pictures soon. If you see something you or Duane like ... keep in touch.

Bill

Thanks Richard - much appreciated.
I'll just start with this single pic of the two ornamentals

Here is a link that might be useful:

Here's some photos of my Black Pearl spanning a two week period.

(The bottom picture is from a different, skinnier plant than the other three.)

Bill

they almost look like berries.

I want to try some. they look like fun to grow.

nice photos thanks for sharing
that is a very pretty plant.

Michael

Here's some more information on Black Pearl breeding.

The article includes information on Black Pearl's parent lines ... a dark-foliaged selection of Royal Black crossed with a green-foliaged, rounded red-fruited variety.

Bill

Yes I am. I got the plant from Lowes when it was a foot tall.
Tony

I am growing it...looks exactly as yours. Beautiful plant. Unfortunately I planted it in an area with poor soil. Stunning ornamental!

Chris

What kind of capsicum is this? It looks like I see multiple fruits per node but I'm not sure. They sure are beautiful!

other than that itlooks like a C.annuum to me, not sure though

can anyone spare me some seeds?