>>717340697
>surely it would just evolve to reproduce via its roots
Peppers evolved to be spicy because mammals tend to chew and break the seeds. Birds don't taste the toxin, don't break down the seed, and spread the seeds much further around.
Now that's efficient!
Then humans decided that we loved peppers and agriculture them.
One of the best, at least short term keys to success of a species currently to be useful to humans. We put so much ecological pressure on nearly every species currently.