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dandt1

Thai Pepper help

dandt1
9 years ago

This pepper plant was bought from Bonnie and labeled as an Thai Hot Ornamental, but as you can see from the picture below, the fruit are rather longer than I expected. I have measured the fruits and they are around 2 inches or a little over. My understand was that ornamental Thai peppers were only around 1 inch.

Could someone take a look at the picture and see if you can tell what variety of Thai Pepper this is? Thanks

Comments (38)

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    9 years ago

    There's so many Thai varieties, it's difficult to nail them down. But that looks like a typical Thai Hot to me. Great pepper whether you plan on eating them or not.

    Kevin

  • dandt1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for your help. I was wondering about that since it didn't look like some of the photos of ornamental peppers that I have seen.

    Also maybe you could help with this other photo. I grew this pepper plant from seeds labeled as "Thai Hot." It isn't flowering or producing yet, so it is hard to judge, but the leaves on this plant are much broader and longer than my other Thai pepper plant you see in the original post. Any idea about this variety or will I just have to wait until it is matured and producing peppers to know?

  • esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
    9 years ago

    I agree with Woohooman. I think it is a basic Thai Hot. I grew a Thai Hot last year and this is how it looked a bit later in the season. Upwards growing pods in bunches and more long and slender.

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    9 years ago

    The 2nd one looks like classic Chinense variety. So, that rules out most COMMON Thai varieties.

    Yep. Wait until some pods develop and turn color and somebody "should" be able to narrow it down.

    Beautiful plants, btw.

    Kevin

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    I am also growing "Thai Hot" from Kitzawa seeds. Mine has just started setting . All I can tell that they are growing upright. In a week or more I should be able to tell how big they will get.

    Generally any pepper with colorful pods , growing upright can be called "ornamental". They are just peppers.

  • fred_d
    9 years ago

    Go to Bonnieplants.com.They have photos of Thai hot and ornamental.

  • toolstack
    9 years ago

    Yep looks like my Thai hot.
    Randal

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    My Bonnie Thai Plants....

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    Left?

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    Center?

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    OK guys, what's the secret? The above three pics are original, rotated left 90ð & right 90ð....

    Any help appreciated...

  • MikeUSMC
    9 years ago

    Probably still too hard to identify until we get an upside down shot....haha

  • dandt1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    That's why I was asking. Mine says Thai Hot Ornamental, but when you look on even Bonnie's website, my peppers don't look like what they label as their Thai Hot Ornamental even though that is what it said when purchased. I was just wondering if there was a mislabeled or what the situation was.

    The other plant (without the peppers so far) was labeled as a Thai Hot by seed label, but doesn't look anything like the other pepper plant which several of you are calling a Thai Hot.

    It's not that critical of an issue, but more just curiosity. I understand you can probably eat any of the varieties of Thai peppers, but didn't know which these were and if they were the ideal Thai variety to use in cooking.

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    Probably still too hard to identify until we get an upside down shot....haha

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    Funny, can't get it to post upside down....

    Any other help you can offer?

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    9 years ago

    DanT1: I think the very first Thai Hot I grew was from Bonnie and was exactly like your first pic, but I can't recall if it said "ornamental" on the label. Now, with northeast_chileman's pic, the pods are fatter and shorter. I have no idea why Bonnie would market the way they do... Maybe the normal thi hot tastes better or the "ornamental" LOOKS better.... Dunno

    Your second pic, I can almost guarantee that it's nowhere near a Thai Hot or anything close. My guess, if you bought this at a Big box store or almost ANY nursery is the label got switched, because it screams chinense species. And being Bonnie, my guess is Habanero.

    Northeast_chileman: open pic in windows pic viewer, adjust the orientation, close the program, post pic.

    Kevin

  • dandt1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the help.

    So the first one in my pictures is a Thai Hot you suspect? That kind is good to eat, correct? Like what is used in Vietnamese food.

    Also wondering how long (I understand some variability) in general it takes for the peppers to turn from green to red? These have been green for a few weeks.

    The pepper plant you say looks like a Chinese variety or habanero or something could be. I purchased the seeds from an asian market where they were labeled as Thai Hot, but maybe they are a chinese variety. I will try to post a followup picture if it ever produces peppers to see if it clarifies the discussion at all.

  • woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
    9 years ago

    LOL Chinense, not Chinese. There's 5 basic species of non-wild capsicums(peppers). With hundreds, if not thousands, of varieties. I don't see that one ever growing into a Thai Hot, but hey, who knows at this point. yes, pods will narrow it down. Like I mentioned before, there are tons of Thai varieties. I'm not familiar with any Chinense varieties, but I'm sure they exist. Maybe you got something special. keep us updated!

    Actually, with those green Thais, they're perfectly harvestable right now. Plenty of heat. Not as sweet as when red, but when red, the skin's a bit tougher. So, experiment and see how YOU like them

    With a lot of varieties, one does have to wait to turn color before the heat and flavor develops. But the Thai Hot is fine either way--- Green or red, fresh or dried.

    They shouldn't take much longer to turn red. Compared to most, they turn pretty quick.

    Yep. Every time I see a Vietnamese chef using fresh chiles, they look very much like what you have. Thai food is known for it's heat. Doesn't mean their neighbors don't use them though.

    Kevin

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    What NEchiliman got, are called "Thai Ornamental". True Thai hot are like what Bruce posted. They look like smaller Cayenne.
    here is a pic of ripe ones.

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    That's what the tag reports.

  • dandt1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    To follow up on this plant that had the larger leaves that had been suggested might be of the chinense variety.

    Here is a followup photo. Not great quality picture, but you can see a few pepper pods appearing now with a number of other flowers emerging as well. The pods are just green so far and appear to be much shorter than the Thai Hot that you can somewhat see in the background.

    Any thoughts now? Again, this was listed as Ot Hiem and bought at an Asian market. It appears to be in the Thai pepper family based on the pods, but the leaves are definitely not like my Thai Hot.

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    Takanotsume?

    Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Web Thread

  • dandt1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Could be I suppose.

    Was wondering if it could be consistent with the Tien Tsin pepper as well. Large leaves, pod that looks similar to Thai pepper.

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    Tien Tsin?

    Webpage? Link? Picture? Seed Seller?

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    Now I can show you how my "Thai Hots" look like.

    One of my favorites so far.

  • dandt1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I do not know of anywhere specifically that is selling these seeds. But here is a link to a site that describes Tien Tsin peppers: http://www.chilepeppersrecipes.com/peppers/tien-tsin

    The plant I am referencing in my Aug. 12th posting was grown from seeds from a Chinese market. They were listed as Thai Hot Peppers, but as you can see from the picture, the shape of the plant and size of leaves is not typical of most Thai Hots. I discovered this Tien Tsin pepper which apparently has larger leaves (like this one) along with peppers similar in heat and appearance to some of the Thai pepper varieties.

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    There are two plants in your Aug. 12th post, the blurry one up front or the one in focus to the rear?

  • dandt1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    It is taken from an iphone, so the focus is off. I am referring to the one in the foreground that is not in focus as well as it could be. But you can see the large leaves and small Thai-like pepper pods.

  • don555
    9 years ago

    The "Thai Ornamental" that northeast chileman posted pics of a month ago looks very much like what I bought seeds for and grew as "Thai Sun" a few years ago... small plants loaded with 3/4" small peppers:

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    BTW: "Ornamental" is a made up description, not a real classification, as I understand it.
    Any small pepper plant with nice (seen) colorful pods can be labeled as ornamenta. I used to think that ornamentals are not edible. But now I don't think so. One might consider, eg, Bishops Crown, Chinese 5C or poinsettia an ornamental.
    JMPO

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    Looks like a C. frutescens, click on link below.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Chile (Capsicum frutescens L. and others)

  • dandt1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here is the most recent photo of the pepper plant originally labeled on seed package as Ot Hiem (Thai Hot). Leaves are larger than my other Bonnie-brand Thai Hot, and it is nearly twice as tall as my Bonnie one.

    I know there are many different Thai species, so I assume the 2 I have are just different varieties unless someone else has another idea?

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    Sure does look like Ot Heim.

  • dandt1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The pepper plant in the post above from 9/5/14 finally had some pods that ripened. The pods didn't turn that vivid red that my jalapenos and other thai pepper plant did. Instead, it was more of a burnt orange color.

    Interestingly, this is the same pepper plant that woohooman said looked line a Chinense variety early on. When I cut into the pods, they had an odor much like a habanero and it was quite hot (much hotter than my Bonnie Thai Hot). The seeds themselves even looked more like habanero seeds I have.

    So it's a bit interesting in that the leaves, seeds, and odor of the peppers seem more consistent with a habanero. But the pod shape (as you can see in the picture above) is certainly more consistent with a Thai variety.

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    Click on this link.> How Do I Identify The Species Of My Chile Plant?

    Note that both C. chinense listings in the right hand column have 2 & More Per Node meaning flower/fruit. In looking at your pic I do see 2 fruit per node here and there. How many nodes have 2 fruit? All, most, some?

  • northeast_chileman
    9 years ago

    So I look at the next thread and I see Orange Tree Habanero, look familiar?

    Hope this helps!
    NECM

  • dandt1
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Very interesting, yes most of the nodes have 2-3 flowers/fruit per node. So that pretty much means this is a chinense variety? The filament doesn't look particularly purple to me, but nevertheless it does have clusters of fruit/flowers at nearly all of the nodes.

    Orange tree habanero could be exactly what this is and would make sense based on the heat level, seed appearance, chinense variety, and the habanero-like odor. Interesting as this was labeled as Ot Hiem (Thai Hot), but I realize there is a lot of accidental mislabeling.

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