Page 124 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2026

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A Fresh Take on Fall Foliage
story by Gaye Winter
In South Mississippi, we love to decorate our porches and patios for the holidays. The fall decorating
can be exceptionally pretty as many plants are still available with our mild autumns and winters.
There are many alternatives to using chrysanthemums in our décor for Thanksgiving. Pumpkins
large and small are wonderful additions as well as the following:
ORNAMENTAL PEPPERS:
Peppers are among the best performing plants
for the hot, humid weather in South Mississippi.
The traditional colors of autumn can be found
in ornamental peppers, which can be planted
into any sunny landscape, including containers,
to spice up an area.
Ornamental peppers keep producing
through the fall. They seem to continually
flower, which means it’s very common to have
multitudes of peppers in various stages of
coloration on the same plant.
These peppers prefer to grow in consistently
moist soil. They look beautiful in containers
on your porches or patios and not only look
fabulous, but they give you “fruit” for your
meals. Regardless of the variety of ornamental
peppers you select, you won’t be disappointed
growing ornamental peppers!
TYPES OF ORNAMENTAL PEPPERS
•  Midnight Fire: A compact, bushy choice showcasing distinct, dark-black
foliage accented by abundant small, dark-purple fruits that mature to bright
red.
•  Black Hawk: Produces sharp, conical-shaped peppers that transition from
pitch black to a stunning, brilliant red against near-black summer foliage.
•  Sangria: Highly recommended for Gulf Coast landscapes. Its non-stop
clusters of slender, upward-pointing fruit display an ever-changing parade
of lavender, orange, and crimson red simultaneously.
•  NuMex Twilight: A heavy-producing heirloom that grows into a small,
three-foot shrub covered in hundreds of upright, one-inch peppers. Fruits
create a “rainbow of fire” effect by shifting through shades of purple,
yellow, orange, and red.
•  NuMex Easter: A very compact, dwarf plant (six to eight inches tall) that
works beautifully in patio containers. Tapered fruits run the gamut of soft
lavender, cream, yellow, orange, and red.
•  Sedona Sun: Known for massive, bright displays. This bushy plant
produces upright, cone-shaped peppers ranging from lemon-yellow to deep
apricot-orange.
124 | November 2026 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living