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Who could forget "The Curse of the Black Pearl," the first of the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean movies from a few summers ago? While they won't sprout a Captain Jack Sparrow for you, there are two 'Black Pearl' veggie varieties that have become hits with gardeners.
A fairly new exclusive from Burpee seeds, the 'Black Pearl' hybrid tomato is a tasty beauty. These dark, cherry toms develop a unique, extra sweet, 'Concord' grape flavor when chilled. Like most vining cherry tomatoes, these plants produce tons of fruit well into fall. Unfortunately, live plants of this variety cannot be shipped to Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii or Nevada from Burpee, but the seeds are available online.
The other 'Black Pearl' worth growing is an ornamental pepper (latin name Capsicum annuum) with spectacular, dark purple/black foliage and shiny, globe-like black fruits that mature to a glossy deep red. This plant is so handsome and sturdy, it was named as a 2006 All-American Selections Winner.
Exceptionally heat and drought tolerant, the 18-20" plant develops an attractive pyramid shape on its own, without pruning or pinching. It is disease- and pest-resistant, easy to grow from seed, and loves life in a container. Or, pair it in an ornamental bed with some silver-leaved plants for a stunning effect. And the more sun, the better the leaf color. Seeds for this beauty are now widely available.
The peppers on Black Pearl are edible, but be forewarned...they are extremely hot. In fact, eating one may cause you to come up with your own Curse of the Black Pearl.
About Tamara Galbraith
I am an avid organic gardener and certified Master Gardener for Collin County, Texas (that's North Dallas).
Despite those lofty titles, I still manage to kill stuff on a regular basis. My gardening experiences are periodically chronicled on my blog at: http://can-u-dig-it.blogspot.com
Posted by sassy1936 (from Lewisville, TX) on October 13, 2008 at 06:27 AM:
First time I saw this was at Dallas Botanical Gardens - it is a beautiful plant. Is this an annual or perennial?
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Posted by TexasTam (from Plano, TX) on October 13, 2008 at 01:45 PM:
Hi Sassy!
Most peppers are annuals in our neck of the woods. However, my Black Pearl reseeded like crazy the year after I planted one.
TexasTam
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Posted by sassy1936 (from Lewisville, TX) on October 15, 2008 at 05:59 AM:
Thank you TexasTam - did you plant in ground or big pot. I think I'll give it a try and hope it comes back next year. I'm in Lewisville.
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Posted by TexasTam (from Plano, TX) on October 15, 2008 at 11:36 AM:
Mine was planted in the ground. Good luck - they are beautiful plants. You can always harvest some of the seeds and just replant them next spring too.
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Subject: black pearl
Posted by JOANNE639679 (from Chico, CA) on August 13, 2007 at 01:56 PM:
black sweet potato. I hoped it would climb, but no. Would be wonderful as a cascade. Planted 3 months ago it now covers an area 3' x 3'. Morning sun afternoon spotty shade here in 9a. Down side-it is an annual I'm told.
I want to try black elephant ear.
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Subject: black pearl-Caspicum annuum
Posted by jarobis (from Stroudsburg, PA) on July 23, 2007 at 10:11 AM:
I too have this- in my herb garden. What a gorgeous plant it is so easy to start from seed. I did and I'm not a master gardener :)
A fairly new exclusive from Burpee seeds, the 'Black Pearl' hybrid tomato is a tasty beauty. These dark, cherry toms develop a unique, extra sweet, 'Concord' grape flavor when chilled. Like most vining cherry tomatoes, these plants produce tons of fruit well into fall. Unfortunately, live plants of this variety cannot be shipped to Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii or Nevada from Burpee, but the seeds are available online.
