Mirch / Chilly Plant
Capsicum annuum
Also known as Red Peppers, Cayenne Pepper, Long Chilly, Sapnish Pimento
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Kerala, Maharashtra, Assam & more
- Flowering
- Throughout the year
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Capsicum annuum
- Genus
- Capsicum
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Native to
- Tropical America
- Distribution
- Cultivated all over the world
- Found in India
- Kerala, Maharashtra, Assam, Delhi, Karnataka, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- Throughout the year
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Solanaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Solanaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- मिर्च Mirch
- Tamil
- சீமை மிளகாய்
- Telugu
- మిరపకాయ, కాప్సికం ఆనం
- Kannada
- ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ Menasina kai
- Malayalam
- Pacha Mulagu, മുളക്, വറ്റൽ മുളക്
- Marathi
- मिरची Mirchi
- Urdu
- Hari / Lal Mirch
Mirch in India
Chilli, known as मिर्च Mirch (Hindi), சீமை மிளகாய் (Tamil), మిరపకాయ (Telugu), ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ Menasina kai (Kannada), Pacha Mulagu (Malayalam), मिरची Mirchi (Marathi), is grown across nearly every Indian kitchen garden and farm. Capsicum annuum is cultivated across Kerala, Maharashtra, Poona, Assam, Delhi, Jaipur City, in countless local varieties differing in size, colour and heat.
Uses
Fresh and dried fruits are the primary source of heat and flavour across Indian cooking — in powders, pastes, pickles and countless everyday dishes — and are also dried whole for storage.
How to Identify Mirch
A bushy annual to small shrub with simple, pointed leaves. Small white star-shaped flowers hang below the leaves, followed by elongated, tapering fruit that ripens from green through yellow or orange to red, though shape, size and final colour vary enormously between varieties.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Chilly plant called in different Indian languages?
- मिर्च Mirch (Hindi); சீமை மிளகாய் (Tamil); మిరపకాయ (Telugu); ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ Menasina kai (Kannada); Pacha Mulagu (Malayalam); मिरची Mirchi (Marathi).
- Is chilli native to India?
- No — Capsicum annuum originates in the Americas and reached India after the 16th century, but it has since become fundamental to most regional Indian cuisines.
- Why do chillies vary so much in heat?
- Capsaicin content differs strongly between varieties and growing conditions, which is why the same species ranges from mild bell-pepper types to very hot regional chillies.
Solanaceae
Nightshade/Tomato family
Mirch belongs to the Solanaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Solanaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Solanaceae
View all Solanaceae →Sources: GBIF — Capsicum annuum (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Capsicum annuum (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)