Sweet/Bell Pepper

Capsicum annuum L.

Warm-season annual
Self-pollinating

Pet & Human Safety

People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Human edibility

Edible

Edible parts

fruit (raw or cooked)

Hazardous parts

No hazardous parts found.

Preparation

Not yet checked.

Hazard type

Not yet checked.

Hazard route

not applicable

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

No dedicated ASPCA entry exists for Capsicum annuum (garden bell/sweet pepper), confirmed as of 2026-09-28. Do not confuse with ASPCA's 'Ornamental Pepper' page, which covers Solanum pseudocapsicum (Jerusalem cherry), an unrelated toxic plant with a similar common name. No toxicity verdict is recorded here rather than guessing true or false.

Look-alike warning

Could be mistaken for ASPCA's 'Ornamental Pepper' page (Solanum pseudocapsicum, Jerusalem cherry/Natal cherry/winter cherry), a completely different genus. To tell them apart: Different genera entirely (Capsicum vs. Solanum); no visual comparison sourced: check the botanical name.. Ornamental Pepper is toxic (solanine) but irrelevant to this edible bell/sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum): ASPCA has no dedicated page for the edible crop itself; do not use the Ornamental Pepper page as a toxicity source for it.

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones: Warm-season annual in every US zone; frost-killed, so timing follows the local last-frost date rather than a hardiness number.
Mature size: Typically 18-24 in. tall and about as wide; stays compact compared to an indeterminate tomato.
Family: Solanaceae (nightshade family; same family as tomato, potato, and eggplant, which is also why Clemson HGIC's soil advice says not to replant peppers where any of those grew previously)
Where it comes from: Native to Mexico and Central/South America, cultivated there for thousands of years before European contact.

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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