It all depends. But the first pod is usually a runty mutant that has poor flavor. They tend to grow from the first fork, i usually snip those off. Personally i think this is what you are dealing with.

But, the original plants could have been an F1 commercial breed labeled as "Hungarian Hot Wax". That would mean you have an F2 generation on your hands. If so, then if you had planted 10 of them, all 10 could have come out looking different. F2 is where crosses begin to change, sometimes revealing their parentage. The F3 generation will keep showing variance, by about F5 is when things begin to stabilize. The changes end around F8 or so.

But, if the greenhouse starts were accidentally crossed in your backyard last year, then you would have an F1 cross on your hands. F1 plants almost always turn out looking the same as one another.

Steve.

Thanks Steve, I think you are right there about it growing from the first fork. Both of my plants grew with the first fork very low down. Within an inch or two of the soil. The purchased plants are just now beginning to fork (I think). I guess it will be interesting to find out what happens down the road. I will have to remember to go out and snip that early deformed pod.

Bruce

Well, I wanted to update here. I always try to update when I leave a thread open like this.

I just went out to look at my peppers and my suspicions have been confirmed. They are actually Pepperoncini plants. I have no idea how I could have possibly gotten the seed mixed up, unless I just pulled seed from the wrong container. Either way, I will probably just dump my current stock of HHW seed and start from scratch. I will use seed from the plants I bought at a garden store for harvesting seed. They are growing true.