“Do not adjust your television”

This *is* a color image, but the subject is not a bizarre Martha Stewart centerpiece or any other craft project! It’s a live plant in what has become my “go-to” campus garden for the last 5 posts. My expectation is that the berries will change in color from this shiny-black to red. I think you can see the photographer’s reflection in at least 4 of the berries (as well as the morning sun)…

With thanks once again to dear friend Jeanne, this is a “Black Pearl Pepper” (Capsicum annuum, family Solanaceae): “A new ornamental pepper cultivar ‘Black Pearl’, developed for ornamental use by arboretum Floral and Nursery Plants Research Unit scientist Rob Griesbach and John Stommel of the Agricultural Research Service’s Vegetable Laboratory, was designated an All-America Selections® (AAS) Flower Award winner for 2006. AAS promotes new garden seed varieties with superior performance as judged in impartial trials in North America” http://www.usna.usda.gov/Research/BlackPearl.html

Species page at PhytoImages, http://phytoimages.siu.edu/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Capsicum_annuum&rank=binomial

Photo taken outside SIUC’s PLB Greenhouse, http://www.plantbiology.siu.edu/facilities/plant-biology-facilities/greenhouse/index.php

See also: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Newintro/BlackPearl_LR.pdf (with some nice images).

A year ago (“Shadows of time”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-09-14

[Ellen E]

wow - cool shot! what an interesting plant!

[Rick Schies]

I would have guess they were spray painted silver.

[Ruth Moucharafieh]

Amazing Thom....my money was on Martha!

[Michelle]

Oh wow, they do look like they are a piece of art. Very beautiful.

[Lisa Pouncy]

Wow! That's quite incredible xx

[ladyjane]

Those are amazing berries! They look like glass marbles.

[elaine]

I have never seen anything so unusual.

[MaryBeth Dailey]

Cool! The leaves are black too? And...I see you!

[Thom Mitchell]

@ellen @digitalrn @ruthmouch @michelleyoung @psychographer @ladyjane @xtech @espyetta Thank you, all! I walked by this plant today and the black berries are the new ones on top with the latest growth. As you go down toward the ground, the older berries get red over time. I have to find out what this is!

[Thom Mitchell]

@ellen @digitalrn @ruthmouch @michelleyoung @psychographer @ladyjane @xtech @espyetta Plant identified! It's a Black Pearl Pepper (Capsicum annuum). I have added information above, with links to pages about this unusual, award-winning plant variety. With thanks to our dear friend Jeanne, who ID'ed the plant just from this small image!

[MaryBeth Dailey]

@rhoing Thanks for the info! Never heard of that....very cool!

[Tara]

Those are so unusual. I've never seen anything 'real' in that color. Nice find and great shot.