2015
Hot and Ornamental Peppers
Hot peppers (Capsicum spp.) are grown the world over and prized for their pungency (from
capsaicin), flavor and health-enhancing properties. SHU refers to Scoville Heat Units, with a bell
pepper registering 0 SHU and pure capsaicin upwards of 15,000,000 SHU. Chiles grown in
northern climates like Wisconsin usually won’t get as hot as those grown in the south. Hot
peppers are an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, and carotene. Plant peppers in a welldrained, fertile, sunny location after any danger of frost. Taller plants may need support.
‘Anaheim’
Type: New Mexican
Heat: 500 – 2,500 SHU
C. annuum. Deep-green 7 ½” long and 2”
wide peppers turn red when mature. Tall
productive plants. Use for canning, freezing
and roasting. Open-pollinated. 75 days.
‘Brown Habanero’
(aka ‘Chocolate Habanero’)
Type: habanero
Heat: 385,000 SHU
C. chinense Lantern-shaped peppers ripen
to a chocolate brown and are hot and
flavorful. High yields on 2’-3’ tall plants.
95 days.
‘Ancho Magnifico’
‘Caribbean Red’
Type: ancho/poblano
Heat: 2,000 SHU
C. annuum. Extra-large (6 ½” long) ancho
pepper for making huge chili rellenos! Thickwalled fruits ripen from green to red.
Matures early, high yields. 70 days.
Type: red habanero
Heat: 445,000 SHU
C. chinesis. This open-pollinated variety
was found in the Caribbean and is much
hotter than most habaneros. Bright red fruit
are 1 ½” long and very hot with fruity
overtones. Great for salsas, marinades and
hot sauce. 110 days to red.
‘Beaver Dam’
Type: Hungarian
Heat: 3,000 – 8,000 SHU
C. annuum. Hungarian heirloom brought to
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin in 1912 by the
Hussli family. Compact plants produce
enormous yields of 6” horn-shaped fruit that
ripen from green to orange-red. Sweetness
appears through the pungency! Use for
stuffing, in goulash or pickled. 80 days.
‘Chenzo’
Type: small tabasco type
Heat: 45,000 SHU
C. frutescens. Attractive fruit matures from
black to bright red. Hybrid plants grow 22”
tall and are compact and well branched.
Mounding habit makes this a great plant for
container use. Use fresh or dried. Good
tolerance to cold temperatures. Prolific.
82 day.
‘Cherezo’
‘Holy Mole’
Type: hot cherry
Heat: 2,500 – 3,500 SHU
C. annuum. Fruit matures to red and are 1
½” round with a fruity flavor. Use these fresh
in salads or use them pickled or stuffed.
High yields. 70 days.
Type: pasilla
Heat: 700 SHU
C. annuum 2007 AAS winner! The first
hybrid pasilla. Produces 9” long, thin
peppers that start out bright green (85 days)
and mature to chocolate brown (100 days)
on 3’ tall plants. They add a rich smoky
flavor but very little heat to dishes. Perfect
for making molé sauce. High yields.
‘Devil Serrano’
Type: serrano
Heat: 6,000 SHU
C. annuum. Extra-hot serrano yields high
amounts of dark green, glossy fruit. Early
maturing on semi-determinate plants for
easier harvesting with less plant sprawl.
Peppers have an extended shelf life.
73 days. (semi-determinate)
‘Early Jalapeno’
Type: jalapeno
Heat: 6,000 SHU
C. annuum. Early and heavy yielding! Fruit
are 3” long, thick-walled and grow on 2’ tall
plants. 65 days.
‘Fooled You’
Type: jalapeno
Heat: 0 SHU
C. annuum. Love jalapeno flavor but can’t
take the heat? This pepper is super mild but
retains true jalapeno flavor – perfect for mild
salsas! Prolific production of 3 ¼ “ long
peppers that are thick-walled and heavy.
65 days.
‘Garden Salsa’
Type: New Mexican type
Heat: 3,000 SHU
C. annuum This hybrid was bred to be the
perfect pepper for making salsa. Use when
green; the long 8” fruit matures to red. High
yields of large peppers! 73 days.
‘La Bomba’
Type: jalapeno
Heat: 4,000 – 7,000 SHU
C. annuum Large 2 ¾” dark green fruit
have thick walls with little cracking. Hybrid
plants are sturdy with a dense leaf canopy
to prevent sunscald. Use in salsa or make
poppers. 56 days.
‘Lemon Drop’
(aka ‘Aji Limon’)
Type: aji
Heat: 50,000 SHU
C. baccatum. Very popular in Peru for
seasoning, this beautiful heirloom produces
bright yellow, 3” conical fruits with a fruity
citrus flavor. Produces abundantly on 2’ tall
plants. Great for containers. 100 days.
‘Long Slim Red Cayenne’
Type: cayenne
Heat: 30,000 – 50,000 SHU
C. annuum. Thomas Jefferson first planted
this pepper at his boyhood home of
Shadwell in 1767. High yields of pencilshaped 5” long fruit. Use fresh, pickle, make
vinegars or dry as a seasoning. The glossy
red fruits are great for making ristras and
other decorations. 75 days.
‘McMahon’s Texas Bird’
‘Poblano’
Type: pequin (bird)
Heat:40,000 – 60,000 SHU
C. annuum. Thomas Jefferson obtained this
pepper from San Antonio and grew this
pepper at Monticello. Tiny red peppers
cover 12” tall plants. Use as a cooking spice
and also an ornamental. The Monticello
family physician used it to make a gargle
from it for sore throats! 90 day.
Type: poblano/ancho
Heat: 2,000 SHU
C. annuum. Heart-shaped fruit are 3-6”
long. Roast and peel the green poblano to
make chili rellenos, or dry when it’s red (as
an ancho) to make chili powder. 75 days.
‘Mushroom’
Type: habanero
Heat: 100,000 – 350,000 SHU
C. chinesis. Mushroom-shaped, flattened
peppers are great for pickling or drying.
Fruits mature to red and are 2” long and
wide. Plants grow to 30” tall. High yields.
90 days.
‘Orange Scotch Bonnet’
Type: habanero
Heat: 350,000 SHU
C. chinesis Bonnet-shaped fruit mature to
bright orange with a smoky and fiery hot
flavor. These are worth the wait! Plants
grow to 30” tall. 120 days.
‘Purple Jalapeno’
Type: jalapeno
Heat: 6,000 SHU
C. annuum. A great open-pollinated
jalapeno with gorgeous color! Deep green
peppers quickly mature to a dark purple
(nearly black) with lime green interior,
eventually ripening to blood red. Fruit are
3” long with crunchy, thick walls and a
classic jalapeno flavor. 85 days.
‘Serrano del Sol’
Type: serrano
Heat: 5,000 SHU
C. annuum The first hybrid serrano! Early
maturing. 2½ ‘ plants yield large 3" conical
green peppers in 55 days (red at 75 days).
Use in sauces, salsa and flavoring.
‘Trinidad Perfume’
Type: mild habanero
Heat: 1,000 SHU
C. chinense Looks like a habanero, but has
low heat! Orange-yellow, lantern-shaped
peppers grow to 1" long and have a mild,
smoky flavor. High yields on tall plants.
80 days.
Ornamental Peppers
Although edible, these pepper plants are grown mainly for their colorful fruits and attractive
foliage. Many of these varieties are compact and perfect for containers and garden borders.
Ornamental peppers can be a stunning addition to any garden or container.
‘Black Pearl’
20” tall plant. AAS and Fleuroselect winner!
This popular ornamental pepper has glossy
black leaves when mature and ¾” round
peppers that mature from shiny black to red.
Plants are vigorous and bushy, great for
landscaping and container use. Pair this
one with lighter colored plants to show off
the contrast. 80 days to black, 140 days to
red.
‘Fish’
24” tall plants. This heirloom was grown in
19th century African-American gardens and
named for its use as a fish seasoning.
Foliage is variegated purple, green and
white, while 1 ½” cayenne-type fruit are
green and white striped, maturing to brilliant
red. Use this as accent plants in the
landscape and in containers. A perfect
ornamental-edible!
‘Numex Easter’
8” tall plant. AAS winner. Small clusters of
peppers look like pastel Easter eggs – from
lavender to pale yellow and light orange.
Plants are compact and well-branched, with
dark green foliage. Use these in the front of
the garden and in containers. Tolerates
heat, humidity, drought, rain and wind.
‘Medusa’
8” tall plant. The 2 ½” long, narrow twisted
peppers of this plant stand upright and
really are reminiscent of Medusa’s snaky
hair! Peppers color white, yellow, orange
and red. Small sized plants are great for
borders or containers. Peppers are edible
and have very little pungency! 72 days.