False: Determining the Gender of Bell Peppers
The Claim
The number of bumps in the bell pepper indicates the gender of the bean.
News posted on
Emerging story
Social media users circulated information that claims that the number of bumps distinguishes the sex of the pepper. The claim has been circulating online since 2013 on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
Misbar’s Analysis
No evidence or study is confirming that there is a gender for bell pepper. As the bumps have no relation to sex, so the plant is male and female at the same time, which means the plant pollinates itself and does not need a male plant to transfer the seeds.
The flower is the sexual organ in plants, bell pepper produces flowers that contain both male and female parts, and there is no specific gender associated with the fruit.
The number of lobes that a bell pepper has is related to the variety of bell pepper. Different varieties produce different numbers of lobes. Some produce two, while others may produce between three and five lobes. The most popular variety of bell pepper in the U.S. produces four lobes.
The number of cloves of bell pepper, whether it is three or four (or whatever), does not affect how sweet the sweet pepper tastes. The pepper's environment and the nourishment of the shave have a more significant influence on it. The variety of pepper also determines the sweetness of the fruit.
