Hanging Basket – Basket of Fire

ornamental pepper

I’ve been wanting some hanging plants but don’t have many suitable places to hang them. The house we moved into has aluminum siding and I’m a little concerned about puncturing the siding for fear of water getting behind the siding and damaging the wood support.

I’m still open to suggestions on how to make this work but in the meantime I’m collecting suitable candidates for hanging.

The latest is 'Basket of Fire', the first ornamental pepper that has been bred especially for hanging baskets. Growing about 10 inches tall and 14-18 inches wide, this pepper develops cascading lower branches as well as continuing to fill in with new growth at the top, making it perfect for hanging baskets and other containers.

Bred by Floranova, Ltd., this new variety produces a profusion of 2 inch long, 1/4 ounce, conical, tapered fruits -- often more than 300 peppers per plant! The peppers change from cream to orange and finally to red at maturity in a colorful show and the small leaves allow the brightly-hued fruits to take center stage. You can use these spicy hot peppers in the kitchen as well.

Like all peppers, 'Basket of Fire' needs full sun and warm temperatures to thrive. It sets fruits in ninety days from transplanting.

For more information on 'Basket of Fire' pepper, go to: National Garden Bureau.