Starfish, Orange

Description

Starfish, Orange (C. baccatum) is the rarest of the three starfish colours — the red and the yellow are both long-established, while the orange turns up in very few collections. The pods are the flattened flying-saucer shape the variety is named for, 4–5 cm across and only about 1.5 cm high, with lobes radiating out from the centre like points on a star.

They ripen green straight to a clear orange and stop there — worth knowing, because the red form passes through orange on its way to ripe. An orange pod on a starfish plant is not automatically this variety.

What makes the whole starfish group worth growing is that the flavour and the heat live in different parts of the pod. The lobes and edges are sweet with a distinct apple-like aroma; the heat sits in the middle. That means you can decide with a knife how hot the dish gets — trim the centre out and you have a sweet pepper, leave it in and you have a proper medium. This orange form is the sweetest of the three.

Expect a big plant. It runs taller than the yellow, well over a metre and a half in good conditions, so give it a large pot — 20 litres or more — and room to spread. It is very prolific and easy to grow, and it carries a long season of fruit.

Superb for pickling whole, where the shape does the work for you, and excellent fresh in salads or alongside cheese.

Some chilies are worth tasting before you grow them. → Explore the Vault

Each pack contains approximately 8–10 or more seeds per variety.
Seeds are packaged in a certified EU seed packaging facility in accordance with applicable regulations.

Categories: Chili Seeds , C. baccatum , Medium , Bonsai , Easy to grow