In climate zones that don't experience freezes I would imagine all peppers are self seeding to dome degree. Left on their own, pods will dry or rot, fall off the plant and some seeds will sprout. For some varieties, birds will eat the fruit and excrete the seed.

Your profile says you're in zone 4a. I wouldn't count on seeing any self seeding in your area.

?Self-Seeding?

@ottawapepper

Well, it's more like 5-something most years. Just once in a great while you might get to twenty below or on extra extra rare occasions, colder. Usually negative ten is uncommon. I mostly put 4a as a precaution for perennials that you want to last more than five years.

This post was edited by Shule on Wed, Dec 31, 14 at 17:03

I've gotten Cascabel to reseed. I get freezing temperatures here. I remember leaving very many pods(in all stages from ripe to rotten) in the garden. Didn't till until spring.
I also get heirloom tomatoes to reseed.

Gary

i doubt you will win this wager ...

but that shouldnt stop you from harvesting seed ... keeping them properly stored for winter.. and starting them in late winter ... to move outside.. after last frost ...

i doubt any will reseed themselves.. in ground freeze areas .. and even if they did.. the first good late frost after winter .. would probably kill the seedlings ..

so ... if you mean.. not collecting seed.. the seed just falling to the ground.. i doubt any will self sow ... which is the usual definition of self seeding ...

collecting them is called... wait for it.. collecting and storing them.. lol ... and though they might not be true to name.. they will be stinkin hot peppers ... there is that whole genetics thing to discuss.. if you wish ....

ken

@ken_adrian

I'm not wagering anything. We're not talking about specific peppers I have or anything. I'm just wondering about other people's experience (without regard to me). I'm not looking for scientific explanations as to whether or not it will work (nor for doubt or faith in the matter), but I am looking for people who have experienced reseeding in peppers themselves.

I have had Orange Thai and Rooster Spur reseed but seeds don't sprout until following spring. There were lots of pods left on the plant. This happened this past winter and we even had exceptionally cold temperatures for north Ga., below 10 degrees. There were probably 50 or more sprout from one plant. I potted up some of them.

@botanicat

Awesome. Thanks! I also just found someone who said their Corno di Toro (Romano) pepper reseeded (although I'm not sure in what temperatures). Technically, Corno di Toro is a sweet pepper, but I hear it can get spicier than jalapenos, sometimes.

This post was edited by Shule on Wed, Dec 31, 14 at 19:55

I had some Kung Pao/ Thai pepper type that pods fell to the ground and the next spring I found them growing, they were spindly and I let them grow and the pods were very small and the plant remained weak the whole season. I live in zone 7 so it may be possible but not likely with hotter varieties. As Bill stated given the right temp and conditions all peppers will self seed the chili tepins do in Texas with no issues.

They are not mine, but tepins reseed all the time in the altiplano of Méjico where it freezes.

I've had pretty much all of my varieties self seed, and it sometimes gets well below freezing here. I get tomatoes, peppers, cukes, melons. I get volunteers on almost all that I don't get around to collecting the fruit. Last year I had hundreds of Numex Twilight, had a bunch of melons too. I fear next year as I had easily hundreds of cherry tomatoes all over this fall, I tried to rake them up, but most got squished... I'm probably going to have to spray grass killer next year to keep them in check.
Pam

Had some serranos come up from seeds that apparently came from the damaged peppers I dropped as I harvested.

But they couldn't compete with the overwintered parent plants.

I get volunteers from tepins and Pequins all the time here in central Texas. Water is the issue, not cold. Five years of drought killed most of the natives. I find other varieties coming up in tilled garden areas about May or June...