Nature is spectacular, and one of the best examples of it are upward-growing peppers! Yes, some peppers grow toward the sun, which is why they are popularly known as ornamental peppers. 

Because of their unique natural growth towards the sun, compact size, and beautiful hues, these ornamental peppers look extremely pretty in gardens, backyards, patios, and even as indoor plants. Ornamental peppers require 12 hours of sunlight, whether grown indoors or outdoors. Plant them in well-draining pots and water them once the top half inch of the soil becomes dry. Read on for eight hot and spicy peppers that grow straight up! 

Thai Hot 

The Thai hot pepper is an extremely spicy variety that grows upwards. This pepper plant produces green fruits that change their color to orange and red as they mature. Grow them at a sunny location in your garden and use deep, 1-gallon containers with excellent drainage to provide room for their taproots.

These peppers are quite small, about 0.5 to 1 inch long and thin. They're a popular ingredient in sauces, soups, and noodles. Handle them with care, as their fiery heat can burn the skin for up to 12 hours. As a precaution, always wear gloves when slicing them, and never rub your eyes while handling these peppers. 

Chinese Five Color 

As the name suggests, the fruit of this pepper plant turns into five colors, starting from purple to creamy white to yellow to orange, and finally, a red color. This edible, perennial pepper plant produces 1 to 2 inches long, conical-shaped peppers that are medium-hot to taste. 

Plant the Chinese five-color pepper at a sunny location, in well-draining soil, and harvest it in just 90 days!  

NuMex Twilight 

Best for growing in containers, the 'NuMex Twilight' peppers are compact and beautiful ornamental house plants with multi-colored fruits. The white flowers of this pepper plant turn into purple fruits that turn yellow, orange, and finally red colors. 

'NuMex Twilight' produces hundreds of 1-inch-long peppers on a single plant. If you want to grow this plant from seeds, keep it indoors first and provide a temperature between 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit until the seeds germinate. Then, place it in a sunny location and ensure the soil stays moist but not waterlogged.

Thai Dragon 

This super hot pepper grows upwards and takes 70 to 80 days to mature. It grows about 3 to 5 inches long and has thin skin. It's often used in pickles and as flakes or powder after drying. You can eat this pepper in all the stages of its growth - green, red, or maroon.

However, do not try it if you cannot eat chili peppers as it is quite hot. 

Facing Heaven Peppers

Also known as cone pepper, this plant is native to North America but is grown commonly in the Szechuan province of China and is used for food preparation there. 

The cone peppers grow upwards and have a medium-hot taste. At least six hours of sunlight is a must for growing these peppers. Not to mention, plant them in well-draining soil with a high organic matter for a better yield. 

Masquerade 

Here’s another beautiful ornamental pepper plant that will look great in your home garden. This plant has bushy, dark green leaves with 2 to 3-inch long peppers that point upwards. The color of the peppers ranges from green to purple to orange and finally red once the fruit is fully mature. 

The green peppers can be harvested in around 70 to 80 days, while the red and purple peppers take about 100 days to mature. Be careful while you eat them, as these peppers are way too hot! 

Find a sunny location to plant these peppers, preferably southern and western exposure. Plant them in well-draining soil and feed them with a potassium liquid fertilizer once the fruits start to appear.  

NuMex Easter

'NuMex Easter' or ornamental chile pepper was first bred at Chile Pepper Institute at the New Mexico State University. This pepper plant grows well in pots and looks good on the patio or backyard. It grows 5 to 6 inches tall and produces four to six fruits that grow upwards. The colors of these peppers resemble the pastel colors of easter eggs ranging from lavender to light yellow and light orange. 

Interesting Fact: The New Mexico State University has produced a series of holiday-themed ornamental chiles from 'NuMex Halloween' to 'NuMex Christmas' and 'NuMex Valentine’s Day' that produce attractive colored fruits! 

Basket of Fire 

Have a space issue in your garden? Worry no more, as these peppers can be grown in hanging baskets! They are edible, ornamental peppers of size 1-2 inches and are extremely hot to taste. However, they can thrive in extreme heat and low humidity conditions and adapt to almost all soil types as long as it's well-draining. 

The star-shaped flowers of this plant are another reason to add them to your ornamental plant collection. The fruit is ready to harvest in about 90 days and ranges from creamy to yellow, orange, and finally to bright red. 

The best part is that you can see all of these colors at a given time in your plant, and one plant can produce hundreds of peppers! 

Reach For The Sky With Peppers!

Even if you do not eat hot peppers, these ornamental, upward-growing peppers will be a unique addition to your plant collection. Not to mention, you will enjoy the attractive colors of the foliage as the fruits will mature. 

Have you planted upward-growing peppers at your home? Share your experience in the comments.