Eastern Rocket Pepper

About 15 years ago we were introduced to the Eastern Rocket Pepper (Capsicum annuum 'Eastern Rocket') while discussing hot peppers in the checkout line at an Agway store. We were then gifted some of these pepper plants and told to save the seeds from a very ripe pepper for the next seasons planting. For years we were able to enjoy these mildly hot peppers but a few years ago I couldn't get the pepper seeds to start growing. Maybe the pepper seeds I collected weren't fully developed. I checked the Internet and found a half dozen references and photos of Eastern Rocket Peppers but no sources of seeds or plants. After several years of failure, I tried some 12 year old seeds and was able to start two pepper plants last year.

By the end of last year's garden season I had this one (1) mature Eastern Rocket Pepper to collect seeds from. After collecting the seeds I then dug up and saved this pepper plant and a Red Knight pepper. The two saved pepper plants were stored in our solarium for the winter.

Early this spring both the Eastern Rocket and Red Knight peppers started to bloom and produce a crop of peppers. Last year's Eastern Rocket plant now has 8 peppers with 3 of the peppers starting to ripen. Soon I should be able to collect more seeds from the plant I started last year.

These are two of the Eastern Rocket Pepper plants I started this year from seed collected last fall. These peppers were transplanted to my garden this week and some of their flowers are now in bloom.

Last year's Red Knight pepper plant is producing ripe peppers and we enjoyed fresh/ripe peppers in our salad tonight.