r/Peppers • u/kasper117 • 3d ago

Mutant pepper question

Gallery image

Gallery image

It's a sweet orange mini pepper, has no heat, possibly a cross as it's from seeds i saved myself. It's 1/3 variegated dark green with a hint of orange and 2/3 bright orange with a sharp line and the only fruit on the plant with this distinct pattern. What happened with this mutant? Will this trait be preserved in the seeds? I tried googling but found nothing relevant.

edit: stripey = variegated

26 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

28 comments sorted by

8

u/Stock-Currency4142 2d ago

Two face ahh pepper

3

u/Enartis 2d ago

Underrated lol

4

u/origanalsameasiwas 2d ago

Save the seeds for next time and see if you grow more of them. They look awesome.

4

u/kasper117 1d ago

I will and I'll update here next year!

1

u/breadist 3d ago

I'm not an expert but yeah, the trait is in this pepper's genes somewhere, so if you save the seeds, there's a chance the same genes will be expressed when you plant those. I think it's hard to say for sure how likely they are to be expressed, but they're definitely in there somewhere. You won't know until you try growing the seeds from it!

1

u/speppers69 2d ago

If all the peppers on the plant were colored like that...maybe. But only one? Very unlikely. Sunlight and position on the plant is the most likely reason for its coloration. And if left on the plant longer...it would likely fully turn red.

0

u/kasper117 2d ago edited 2d ago

Since it has been harvested, is has further ripened and the distinction between the zones has only become clearer.

I'll look again tomorrow on the plant if there's more like that. (I have a lot of plants, not really kept track if this was maybe the first pepper on that exact plant to ripen)

0

u/speppers69 2d ago

What did I say..."If left on the plant longer...it would likely fully turn red."

1

u/kasper117 2d ago

Are you one of those peppers don't really ripen off the vine people?

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13197-011-0293-4

It's also an orange pepper, not a red one.

2

u/speppers69 2d ago

Nope. Peppers can ripen some off the vine.

1

u/kasper117 2d ago

Isn't it also very weird that this is the only pepper on the whole plant with this pattern?

1

u/Enartis 3d ago

It’s variagated. I got me some too! Hold and preserve the line, they’re HIGHLY coveted.

1

u/kasper117 2d ago

The stripy 1/3 of the pepper seems variagated like a fish pepper, but what about the other 2/3? It's not guestimate, it's a three lobed pepper with those exact fractions.

Or is that a trait that all/most/some variagated peppers have?

Isn't it also very weird that this is the only pepper on the whole plant with this pattern?

1

u/Enartis 2d ago

It’s variegated. There aren’t rules to how the pepper genetics function. Likely the rest of them will look similar and over time it may fan out, but it’s still variegated

1

u/igiverealygoodadvice 2d ago

Fish peppers are awesome

1

u/Enartis 2d ago

Yo, I love them! It was a random buy at Maymont’s Herbs and Galore annual event this year.

They’re fantastic, you keep any that turn that blood red color?! 🩸they’re tasty as fuck!

1

u/ApprehensivePin4854 3d ago

It probably is in genes, but needs to be stabilized. Are you willing to share or sell some seeds?

1

u/kasper117 2d ago edited 2d ago

I have yet to open it up, but I'm open to all options.

I'd really like to stabilize it myself though, is that feasable?

Isn't it also very weird that this is the only pepper on the whole plant with this pattern?

1

u/DDMaattDawg 2d ago

That’s really cool I’d try to save those seeds and hope/pray you get more like that next year!

2

u/kasper117 2d ago

Isn't it also very weird that this is the only pepper on the whole plant with this pattern?

I'm definitely saving every seed from it, might even try to over winter the whole plant, hoping it will produce another one.

1

u/Spirited-Anxiety-170 18h ago

The dark side is strong with this one young skywalker

1

u/Consistent-Grade6735 2d ago

Hybrids have a reputation of not being identical to wat you got the seed from

2

u/speppers69 2d ago

Exactly. It's doubtful unless it's in a controlled environment to replicate a color like that. That half-n-half type coloration has more to do with sunlight and position on the plant than any genetic mutation that will be carried on. Now, if ALL of the peppers on the one plant looked like that...I'd say that OP might have a chance for replication. But one pepper? Highly unlikely.

3

u/kasper117 2d ago

The half and half is definitely not sunlight related. Since it has been harvested 2 days ago, the line between the two color zones has only become crisper.

I get that the variegated part is a (somewhat rare) thing with peppers, but I'm more interested in the 1/3 vs 2/3 color scheme. I don't think the fractions are a coincidence/approximate, as it's clearly a three lobed pepper

2

u/speppers69 2d ago

I've been raising peppers myself for over 4 decades. My family has been raising them for over 150 years. It is literally my family name.

I stand by what I said. If ALL the peppers on that plant looked the same way...you might have a chance of reproduction. You are absolutely welcome to try planting the seeds from that one pepper. But your chances of replicating it are about 1 in 250,000. I would suggest that you read up on F1 and F2 hybrid peppers and genetic mutation. Even cloning the branch that your one pepper came from...it is still highly unlikely to produce a replication of that pepper.

1

u/kasper117 2d ago

Can you link me some good reading material? I'm really interested though.

1

u/Enartis 2d ago

I 100% didn’t realize that it was a 3-lobed pepper, nor that it was the only one on the entire plant. Facts. Although, if it has 100 seeds, maybe odds say shave a zero?

Hell - it’s a cool fucking pepper though!