'Jalapenogate is a real thing'

Call it “jalapenogate.” Or the Great Summer Pepper Mystery of 2023. Something’s up with our backyard pepper crops and it’s perplexing plant people coast to coast.

Gardeners planted purple bell pepper or (most often) jalapeno seedlings, expecting to harvest those varieties this summer. They got a surprise – the wrong peppers.

Instead of purple bells or glossy green (or red) jalapenos, they got peppers that turned yellow! (Sometimes hot, sometimes not.)

On online garden community bulletin boards, gardeners have shared their mystery veggies.

“A friend gave me this as a seedling, and said it was a purple bell pepper. Doesn’t look like any bell I’ve grown before,” wrote Aimee Ring on Sacramento Gardening Group’s Facebook page. “Any ideas?” (The photo definitely looked like banana pepper.)

Similar posts first popped up throughout Oklahoma and Texas; states where peppers tend to mature earlier. “Jalapenogate is a real thing,” wrote one North Texas gardener.

It’s not just amateur gardeners who were surprised by wrong peppers. Several produce growers who sell peppers at farmers markets or supply restaurants have been affected, too.

Green Acres Nursery & Supply, which has seven nurseries in the Sacramento region plus two in Texas, sold some of the mislabeled peppers this spring. Like their customers, the retailer had no idea.

“We received product from growers who were provided with the wrong seeds,” explains Greg Gayton, Green Acres garden guru. “It’s an unfortunate situation because gardeners nurture their plants for a while before they realize the peppers are not what they’d hoped for.”

Customers who got the mismarked peppers can contact Green Acres.

“At Green Acres, we’re happily taking care of our customers who have the incorrect product,” Gayton says. “Simply reach out to the store directly so we can make it right.”

Jalapenogate has been a headache for pepper growers nationwide. One major Midwest grower recounted their saga.

Ali Cude of Sedan Floral, a huge wholesale nursery in Kansas, wrote on Facebook, “It has been brought to our attention that a lot of the ‘jalapeno’ peppers from this spring are producing yellow peppers, either bananas or a hot wax variety. We immediately began looking at how much seed we ordered, what we sowed and how much remained. We determined fairly quickly that our inventories were accurate and that we needed to continue to search for the problem. We maintain and monitor inventories rigorously on all crops produced, as well as tags and trays used each season.

“After further investigation, this issue appears to be much more widespread than we could have imagined,” Cude added. “Greenhouses across the country are reporting the same issues. Complaints are also being made of seed packets sold at retail.”

Sedan Floral grows plants for nurseries in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska and New Mexico.

“It is believed that we received mislabeled seed packages from the seed vendor,” Cude wrote. “There is evidence that more than one seed vendor may have been distributing the mislabeled seed. It is also possible that more than just jalapenos may be affected; however, they are the most popular variety that consumers have been reporting. We have been in contact with our seed vendors but have not received definitive answers.

“We are sorry for all the headaches this has created; we are incredibly frustrated as well. We know that this does not help remedy the situation, but we hope that it will bring some clarity. We strive to produce the very best products for our customers every season and hope that you will continue to support your local independent garden centers for many seasons to come.”