The
bell pepper (also known as
sweet pepper,
pepper,
capsicum /ˈkæpsɪkəm/<a href="
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_pepper#cite_note-1"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a> or, in some parts of the
US midwest,
mango) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum
Group of the species
Capsicum annuum.<a href="
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_pepper#cite_note-cabi-2"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a><a href="
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_pepper#cite_note-3"><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a> Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, white, chocolate, candy cane striped, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent
chili varieties as "sweet peppers". While they are
botanically fruits—classified as
berries—they are commonly used as a
vegetable ingredient or
side dish. Other varieties of the genus
Capsicum are categorized as
chili peppers when they are cultivated for their
pungency, including some varieties of
Capsicum annuum.
Peppers are native to
Mexico,
Central America, the
Caribbean and northern
South America. Pepper seeds were imported to Spain in 1493 and then spread through Europe and Asia. Preferred growing conditions for bell peppers include warm, moist soil in a temperature range of 21 to 29 °C (70 to 84 °F).<a href="
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_pepper#cite_note-4"><span>[</span>4<span>]</span></a>