The Chinese Five Colors’ beauty, flavor, productivity, and versatility make it one of the most popular peppers to grow. Similar to the Bolivian Rainbow, Chinese Five Color pepper plants produce multi-colored pods: cream, purple, yellow, orange, and red. Layers of purple and cream are in play, along with the more familiar yellows, oranges, and reds. Unlike most ornamental peppers, the Chinese Five Color actually has a desirable flavor, so it’s a great choice for edible landscaping projects.
As its name indicates, the plants have a variety of different colored pods growing all at the same time. The conical peppers start off with shades of purple, then age into a beautiful cream color, followed by shades of yellow, orange, and red. As they ripen, the pods gain more heat and flavor. The Chinese Five Color has a medium heat level, averaging about 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville Heat Units, similar to Cayenne pepper.
