"Fleur", Flower Pepper Plant

QSis

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(This interesting question, posed by Leni, deserved a thread of it's own.)

Lee

"Have you ever heard of the pepper 'Fleur'? It literally looks like a flower. It is mild but very pretty. I've seen it only once in the nurseries and never in the catalogs.

Leni"
 

Leni

New member
That's it! You found it. :clap: I found this comment on the second site. Now at least I know the name of the pepper.

What you refer to as ‘strange French peppers’ are actually a breed of Capsicum baccatum. In South Africa, they are grown in the Limpopo province by the trade mark company ‘Peppadew’, which is what this sweet picquante pepper also now called. The company Peppadew has a strict control monopoly over the ‘fruit’ peppadew. NO seeds or plants are available on the open market. Employees of Peppadew are made to sign contracts that forbid them to remove any part of the fruit or plant from the premises and the plants are protected by guards. An underground movement was formed by those who believe hybrid seeds belong to no one and are set on earth for all. I’ve managed through friends who grow peppadews to secure some fruit from which I’ve harvested seeds. It’s good to read on your site that you too have managed to find some seeds and now grow peppadews. The Peppadew company pickles their peppadews in a sweet vinegar brine with no spices, or preservatives. The sugary vinegar concoction preserves and enhances the sweet picquante of the peppadews, which are deserving of their own unique flavour, though I’m sure your recipe is something yummy to try! Thanks for the post.

So much for trying to keep an exclusive. I'll have seeds in a month or so when the peppers ripen.
 
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Leni

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By the way, this is not a hybrid. It breeds true and therefore is a natural sport or a plant that has been around for some time.
 

QSis

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Wowwwwwwwwwww! The intrigue continuessssssss!

LOL!

Now I want some!

Lee
 

Leni

New member
Unless you have moved recently I have your address. I'll send you some seeds as soon as I have them. The peppers are still green so it's going to be a month or two.
 

QSis

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Ohhhhhhhhh! I thought you've only been hunting for the seeds! Didn't know you were actually growing the plants!

Cool - thank you!

Lee
 

Leni

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I've been growing them for the last two years. At the moment I only have one plant in my community garden but it has a lot of peppers on it.
 

QSis

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Update:

Thanks to Leni's sending me some seeds, I have just harvested (yes, October 20th!) my first Fleur Peppers!

I started the seeds indoors on May 5th, five germinated and I planted the small plants outside in the middle of June.

They took all summer to flower (I do not have 10-12 hours of sunlight) and I'm just getting the little peppers now.

They are large plants with zillions of flowers and teeny peppers now. Much larger and more slow-growing than the Wrinkled Old Man Peppers that Leni also sent me.

There was chance of a freeze last night, so I covered the plants with gardener's fabric, and will leave that on, hoping to get more peppers before winter.

I've only eaten one so far, and it's not at all hot. I've read that you can occasionally get a hot seed, though.

Leni, do they get red or black if you leave them on the plant long enough? Have you pickled them?

Next year I will definitely start the seeds earlier and place them in the sunniest spot.

Such lovely peppers - thank you again, Leni!

Lee
 

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Leni

New member
They have a nice flavor but are not really hot. The pepper on the right is the way they usually look. There is a company in South Africa that is trying to have a monoply on them. That could be why I haven't seen them in the nurseries except for that one time. They pickle them.
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
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neat. I'm a banana pepper type meself - a little bit ul' do ya.....

not a burn-off-yo'-lips fan.....
 

QSis

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My Dad is visiting me for a week, and he LOVES the Wrinkled Old Man peppers grilled or roasted.

I picked what I had of the WOM peppers and the Fleur peppers, tossed them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them at 350 for 20 minutes (turned them after 15 mins.)

Served them to Dad as an hors d'oeurve with his cocktail and he adored them! Thank you AGAIN, Leni - these are terrific!

Lee
 

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