Can Pepper plants winter?

[Lawrence Bullock]

I live in Northern California. It's traditionally cold and wet here in the winter. I've been thinking about moving the pepper plants I have (jalapeno, anaheim and cayenne) indoors. Is this a crazy idea?

[Cereus-validus...]

That's absolutely demented. You have completely lost your mind. You have flipped your lid. :-)

Pepper plants are annuals.

[Pam - gardengal]

Sorry, but all species of Capsicum are perennial, woody subshrubs. They are typically grown in this country as annuals because they are semi-tropical in origin. In fact, the specifc epithet of C. annuum was assigned by taxonomists in the northern hemisphere assuming the plant was an annual based on its performance in our more temperate climate - it is actually a short lived perennial. It is perfectly reasonable to be able to grow these plants indoors ( a greenhouse would be preferred) for an extended period of time, provided all necessary growing conditions are met.

pam - gardengal

[V_coerulea]

[Lawrence Bullock]

semi-tropical

They're container plants. My question was mainly would they survive the winter indoors and then put back out later.

Thanks to all (I think) for the replies.

[Frank Logullo]

I've done it but it was a bother. Put in basement window at ~65 deg. F in winter. Had to keep watered and bugs were a problem. Got peppers following year but found it easier to leave pots outside and plant new seedlings in spring. Frank

[Someone]

if they don't suffer a freeze.

[Edwin Kalat]

I have had pepper plants for four years. I cut them back when I bring them in in the fall, I spray them for bugs. You do not need bees to polinate pepper plants. In Italy they grow for years in areas where there is no frost .