Are There Male and Female Bell Peppers?

No.

Written by

Melissa Petruzzello

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

If you frequent the cooking or gardening domains of social media, you may have encountered an influencer or two talking about whether bell peppers are male or female. The popular claim is that bell pepper fruits with three lobes or bumps on the bottom are male, while those with four lobes are female. Often these differences are linked with flavor and use: Female bell peppers are supposedly sweeter and better for eating raw, while male...