Napoleon Sweet

One of the peppers I added this year is “Napoleon Sweet”

Per the Seed Savers Exchange page I ordered the seeds from:

Listed in 1923 by L. L. Olds Seed Company and described as: “Possibly the most productive of all the large peppers, bears consistently until frost. Mild as an apple. Fruit about 8″ long and 4″ in circumference, standing upright until they get so heavy they sometimes droop. Remarkably early for a large fruited pepper.” Good flavor when green, sweeter when red. 70-90 days from transplant. Heat •0•

One of the plants I started from seed has been ahead of the rest from the day it sprouted and is currently laden with a few shiny green peppers. They look like they are unfolding as well as growing; the valleys between the lobes have been very deep, giving the young peppers the same look as a Shar Pei puppy

As the peppers have grown they have stretched out a bit but still appear to have a ways to go.

In the background behind this cluster of pepper cleavage, you will note the garden supervisor is doing basically what supervisors do best…..

I’ve read that these peppers get much sweeter as if allowed to stay on the plant and further ripen into a bright red color. Unfortunately , I discovered today that I have a pepper pecker in resident as I busted the loitering mockingbird perched in another plant enjoying an almost fully ripened red Sheepnose pimento.

Now I’m hesitant to let the Napoleons stay on the plants until red. Their current inconspicuous wrinkled green state has allowed them to escape detection by the loud pepper pecker, but for how long?