Heirloom Hot Pepper Varieties for Florida1
Hot peppers are members of the Capsicum genus of the nightshade family Solanaceae (Rhodes 2009). Hot peppers are native to Central and South America where they have been part of the human diet since about 7500 BCE (Bosland 1996). Hot peppers were named by Christopher Columbus who mistakenly thought they were related to Piper nigrum or black pepper because they had a similar pungency. Columbus returned to Spain with the spice, and its popularity rapidly spread throughout Europe, India, China, Korea, Thailand, and Japan.
Hot peppers are known for their pungent flavor. The pungency is caused by the compound capsaicin, which is measured in Scoville heat units (Wright 2010). A pepper with more capsaicin will have a higher Scoville heat unit. Bell peppers have a Scoville unit of zero, while the hottest peppers have a Scoville unit greater than 1,000,000. The pungency level is genetic, but it can be influenced by environmental stress. A hot pepper from the same variety grown in hot, dry conditions would have higher capsaicin and a more pungent flavor than a hot pepper grown in cooler, humid conditions.
A hybrid hot pepper is bred from two genetically different purebred varieties to produce fruit with desirable characteristics (Culbert 2011). While hybrids are known for their vigor and characteristics, such as their adaptability to environmental stress, disease resistance, and growth uniformity from plant to plant, heirloom hot peppers were selected for their superior flavor and eating quality. A hot pepper is considered an heirloom when the variety has been in use for 50 to 100 years, and it is open pollinated and "true to type," which means seeds will produce offspring that are identical to the parent plant (Wright 2013). Unlike hybrid plants that are not consistent from generation to generation, heirloom seeds can be saved and regrown the following year.
Heirloom hot peppers are closely related to other vegetables in the family Solanacea, such as potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco, and eggplants. Many diseases for these vegetables can affect heirloom hot peppers, making them susceptible to these diseases. Bacterial leaf spot caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria is the most common, and it is characterized by small, water-soaked or greasy spots on leaves and small, light green, and raised spots on fruit that enlarge and turn scabby (Pernezny and Kuchark 2011). Viruses, such as pepper mottle, potato virus Y, tobacco etch, and tobacco mosaic virus, are common problems. These diseases create stunted plants, fruit and leaf malformation, mottling, and leaf mosaics, but identifying these viruses in the field is difficult and must be done in a laboratory (Mossler, Aerts, and Nesheim 2012). To prevent the spread of diseases use clean transplants, control weeds and insects, such as white flies and aphids, avoid overhead irrigation, and reduce handling of the plants while they are wet.
Heirloom Hot Pepper Varieties—Here is a guide of the popular pepper varieties used in Florida (Table 1). The popularity was assessed from a survey among seed suppliers, which include Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Burpee, High Mowing Seeds, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Tomato Grower Supply Company, Seeds of Change, Territorial Seed Company, and My Patriot Supply. When organic seeds were available, the USDA logo was inserted. The relative Scoville rating, which measures a pepper's pungency, was also included when it was available.
Variety |
Company |
Season (Relative Maturity) |
Plant and Fruit Characteristics |
Comments |
Most Popular Heirloom Hot Peppers |
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Aji Dulce |
Reimer Seed and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange |
90–111 days |
Plant has light green leaves and white flowers. Fruit is 1.75 inches long and 1.5 inches wide and wrinkled. They turn from green to orange and from orange to red when mature. |
Fruit tastes like the habanero but is sweet, spicy with little heat. Relative Scoville rating: 100–500 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Caribbean Red Habanero |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company and Burpee |
110 days |
Productive plants that reach 30 inches tall. Fruit is slightly wrinkled and about 1 inch wide and 1.5 inches long. Similar in shape to the habanero and ripen from lime green to a brilliant red. |
Fruit has a warm, rich, and smoky-citrus taste. Relative Scoville rating: 445,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Cayenne Long Red |
My Patriot Supply, Sustainable Seed Company, Seedaholic, Burpee, and Smart Gardener |
70–80 days |
Plants are bushy, 24 to 30 inches tall, and produce hot, narrow, and medium-walled fruit about 4 to 6 inches long that ripen to glossy deep red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 30,000–50,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Fish |
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Nature Hills Nursery, Burpee, and Smart Gardener |
80 days |
Plants have green and white variegated foliage producing 3 to 5 inches of tapered fruit that ripen from cream and green striped to orange and brown, and then to red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–30,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Hungarian Wax Hot |
My Patriot Supply, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Smart Gardener, and High Mowing Organic Seeds, |
70–80 days |
Plants are 24 to 36 inches tall and produce 5-inch-long fruit. Fruit starts out bright yellow and turns red as it matures. |
Relative Scoville rating: 750–3,500 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Poblano |
Burpee, Local Harvest, and High Mowing Organic Seeds |
65 days |
Plants grow 30 inches tall and have yellow flowers. Fruit is 4 to 8 inches and turns from green to red when mature. |
Called Ancho peppers when dried. Fruit is hotter when mature and red. Relative Scoville rating: 2,500–5,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Santa Fe Grande |
Seminis, Bonnie Plants, Burpee, and Natures Creations Award Winning Seed |
75–80 days |
Plants are 24 inches tall with conical fruit that grow 2 inches long. Fruit matures from yellow to orange-red. |
Fruit has medium heat and slight sweetness. Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–8,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Serrano |
My Patriot Supply, Country Creek Acres, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Burpee, and Bean Acres Seeds |
75–80 days |
Large plants with club-shaped fruit 2 to 3 inches in length. It ripens from green to red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 2,500–4,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Tabasco |
Bean Acres Seeds, Burpee, Bonnie Plants, Natures Creations Award Winning Seed, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company |
90 days |
Bushy plants, 24 to 36 inches tall. Plants produce thin, oblong, and 2- to 3-inch-long fruit. It starts out green, changes to yellow, then orange, and finally turns bright red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 30,000–50,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Thai Red Chili |
Smart Gardener, Sustainable Seed Company, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company |
90 days |
Plants produce small, bright, and red-pointed fruits. |
Peppers are easy to dry. Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–30,000 |
Other heirloom hot peppers |
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Aji Amarillo |
Reimer Seed and Solana Seeds |
100 days |
Plant grows 36 inches tall with green stems, leaves, and white flowers with green and yellow markings. Fruit is 5 inches long by 1.25 inches wide that turns from green to orange when mature. |
Fruit can be used green, ripe, or dried. Relative Scoville rating: 40,000–50,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Aji Colorado |
Dave's Garden, Seeds of Change, and Reimer Seeds |
69–80 days |
Plant is 18 to 24 inches with 3- to 5-inch-long fruit that ripens from green to red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 20,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Anaheim |
Seedman and Sustainable Seed Co. |
77 days |
Plants grow 18 to 24 inches tall and 16 inches wide with 6-inch-long fruit that turns from green to deep red when ripe. |
Relative Scoville rating: 3,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Ancho 101 |
Park Seed, Reimer Seeds, and The Chili Man |
75 days |
Bushy, 30 to 36 inch-tall plants that produce 4 to 6 inches of tapered fruit that matures from green to red. |
Plants are vigorous and sturdy. Relative Scoville rating: 3,000 |
Bhut Jolokia or Ghost |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Hirt's Gardens, and Cross Country Nurseries |
100–120 days |
Tall plants that exceed 48 inches. Fruit is thin-walled, wrinkled, and pointed. Fruit reaches 2 to 3 inches in length that ripens to red. |
Relative Scoville rating: more than 1,000,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Big Jim |
Lazy Ox Farm, Sustainable Seed Company, and Smart Gardener |
75–80 days |
Plants are tall and productive (best staked) that produce 24 to 30 tapered oblong fruit about 10 to 12 inches long. Plant ripens at the same time from green to red. |
Ideal for hot, dry weather. Relative Scoville rating: 500–2,500 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Black Hungarian |
Smart Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds, and Sustainable Seed Company |
70–80 days |
Ornamental variety 30 to 36 inches tall with purple-veined foliage and intense purple flowers. Shiny, black, and conical fruit about 3 to 4 inches long that ripens from black to red. |
Fruit has mild heat when black and turn hotter as they mature. Relative Scoville rating: 1,200 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Bulgarian Carrot |
Territorial Seed Company, Nature Hills Nursery, Sustainable Seed Company, Reimer Seeds, and Lazy Ox Farm |
70–80 days |
Plants are 18 inches tall and produce clusters of 3.5-inch-long fruit that ripens from green to fluorescent orange. |
Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–30,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Chiltepin |
Sustainable Seeds, Totally Tomatoes, and Dave's Garden |
90 days |
Plants grow 8 to 10 inches and produce extremely hot, 0.5-inch fruit. |
It is harvested in the wild in the southwestern United States. Relative Scoville rating: more than 30,000 |
Chinese Five Color |
Trade Winds Fruit, Reimer Seeds, and Dave's Garden |
85 days |
Ornamental plant that grows 20 inches tall with conical fruit that grows about 1-2 inches. Fruit turns from purple, to cream, to yellow, to orange, and to red when mature. |
Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–30,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Chocolate Habanero |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Urban Farmer, and Semillas |
80–90 days |
Plants are 36 inches tall with lantern-shaped fruit. The 2-inch fruit is dark brown. |
The fruit looks like chocolate candies. Relative Scoville rating: 450,000 |
Craig's Grande Jalapeño |
Lazy Ox Farm and Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company |
81 days |
Plants are 12.5 inches tall and produce green fruit that turns red when ripe. |
Relative Scoville rating: 2,000–4,500 |
Datil |
Reimer Seeds |
100 days |
Plants produce fruit that is 1.5 inches long by 0.5 inches wide. Fruit matures from light green to orange when mature. |
Mostly grown in St. Augustine, FL. Fruit has a very distinct flavor. Relative Scoville Rating: 100,000–300,000 |
Early Jalapeño |
Bean Acres Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds, and Burpee |
66 days |
Plants are 20 to 24 inches tall and produce blunt, 3- inch-long fruit that can be harvested when dark green or red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 4,000–6,000 Organic. USDA Organic |
Espanola Improved |
Seeds of Change and Sandia Seed Co. |
75 days |
Plants are 18 to 24 inches long with long, tapered fruit. The 5- to 7-inch fruit matures from dark green to red. |
Fruit is spicier in warmer climates. Relative Scoville rating: 2,000–4,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Fatalii |
Tomato Growers Supply Company and Seed Savers Exchange |
90 days |
Plants are 30 inches tall and produce 3-inch-long fruit that is similar to a habanero. Fruit is yellow-orange in color. |
Relative Scoville rating: 250,000–300,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Filius Blue |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Reimer Seeds, and Seedaholic |
60–120 days |
Plants are 18 inches tall with fruit about 2.5 inches long by 1 inch wide. Fruit matures from purple (hot) to red (mild). |
Relative Scoville rating: 20,000 |
Goat Horn |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Hirt's Gardens, and Evergreen Seeds |
85 days |
Plants are 26 inches tall with horn-shaped fruit about 3 inches long. Fruit matures from green to bright red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 3,000–5,000 |
Habanero Red Savina |
Reimer Seeds |
100 days |
Plants grow 42 inches tall and produce fruit 2 inches long by 1.5 inches wide. Fruit matures from green to red when ripe. |
Relative Scoville rating: 577,000 |
India Jwala or Indian Finger |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company and 2BSeeds |
60–120 days |
Umbrella-type plant that produces 4-inch-long fruit with wrinkled skin. The fruit looks green in the early stage and turns into red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–30,000 |
Italian Pepperoncini |
Smart Gardener and Garden Harvest Supply |
62–75 days |
Bushy plants, 20 to 24 inches tall that produce 3- to 4-inch-long fruit that can be yellow or red. |
Needs summer shade. Excellent sun-scald protection. Fruit is sweeter when red. Relative Scoville rating: 100–500 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Jalapeño |
My Patriots Supply, Burpee, and Victory Seeds |
72 days |
Fruit is 3.5 inches long by 1.5 inches wide. Fruit is tapered and dark green that matures to red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 10,000 Organic seed available USDA Organic |
Jalapeño M |
Eden Brothers, and Sustainable Seed Company |
65–70 days |
Plants are 18 to 24 inches long that have green and 3- to 4-inch-long fruit. |
The most popular of the jalapeño peppers. Relative Scoville rating: 5,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Jimmy Nardello's |
Territorial Seed Company, Reimer Seeds, and Burpee |
75 days |
Fruit is long, slender, and tapered. Fruit is about 6 to 9 inches long. |
It originated in Ruoti, Italy. It is sweet and crisp and known as a good frying pepper. Relative Scoville rating: 0 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Lemon Drop |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Refining Fire Chiles, and Smart Gardener |
90–100 days |
Plants are 24 inches tall with crinkled and conical fruit. The 2- to 3-inch-long fruit has a bright yellow color. The fruit sometimes has a dark purple blush. |
Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–30,000. |
Lemon Yellow Habanero |
Reimer Seeds |
85 days |
Plants are 24 to 32 inches tall and produce small, lantern-shaped fruit. The lemon-yellow fruit is 1 to 1.5 inches long. |
Relative Scoville rating: 150,000–325,000. |
Leutschauer Paprika |
Smart Gardener and Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company |
85 days |
Fruit is 2 to 3 inches long and 0.25 inches wide. Fruit matures from green to a deep, glossy red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 1–1,000. |
Long Purple Cayenne |
Reimer Seeds and Azure Dandelian |
70 days |
Bushy, 20- to 24-inch-tall plants that produce bright purple fruits. |
Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–30,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Mustard Habanero |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Seed Savers Exchange, and Reimer Seeds |
95–100 days |
Habanero-type fruit that starts out a very light green color blushed with purple, and ripens to a mustard color, and then finally to fiery orange. |
Relative Scoville rating: more than 30,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Numex Big Jim |
Tomato Growers Supply Company, Local Harvest, and Dave's Garden |
80 days |
Plants are 18 to 24 inches long, and they produce fruit that is tapered and oblong. Fruit grows up to 12 inches long and weighs as much as 4 oz. Matures from green to red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 1,000–5,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Numex Conquistador |
Reimer Seeds and Dave's Garden |
85 days |
Plants are 18 to 24 inches tall and produce an Anaheim type fruit that is 4 to 7 inches long. Fruit matures from green to dark red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 1–1,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Padron |
Seeds of Change, Johnny's Selected Seeds, and Reimer Seeds |
75–85 days |
Small and thin-skinned fruit that matures from green to red when ripen. |
Mild (1–1,000 Scoville heat units) and Moderate (1,000–5,000 Scoville heat units). Mature and full-sized peppers at will be hot. Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Pasilla Bajio |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, and Sustainable Seed Company |
78 days |
Plants produce wrinkled fruit 7 inches long and 1 inch in diameter with a dark green color that turns brown as it ripens. |
Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–30,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Purple Jalapeño |
Pepper Joe's Inc., Territorial Seed Company, and Totally Tomatoes |
69–80 days |
Plants are 18 to 24 inches tall and produce fruit 2 to 6 inches in length. Fruit matures from a deep purple to red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–30,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Red Cherry |
Local Harvest, Harris Seeds, Hometown Seeds, and Burpee |
75–80 days |
Plants are 24 to 36 inches tall and produce 1.5- to 2- inch fruit that matures from green to red. |
Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–15,000 |
Red Mushroom |
Reimer Seeds and Local Harvest |
85–90 days |
Plants are 24 to 30 inches tall and produce thin-skinned and mushroom-shaped fruit. The fruit is also wrinkled, squat, and wide. The 2-inch fruit matures from green to red. |
Relative Scoville rating: more than 30,000 |
Ring-O-Fire |
Johnny's Selected Seeds and High Mowing Organic Seeds |
80 days |
Plants are 24 to 30 inches long and produce a bright red, 4- to 6-inch fruit. |
Relative Scoville rating: 20,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Scotch Bonnet |
Sustainable Seed Company, Bean Acres Seeds, and Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company |
85 days |
Plants are 24 to 32 inches tall and produce fruit 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter. Fruit is long, wrinkled, and irregular-shaped. Fruit ranges in color from green to golden-yellow. |
Relative Scoville rating: 150,000–325,000 Organic seed available. USDA Organic |
Tam Jalapeño |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company and Reimer Seeds |
60–120 days |
Bushy plants are 24 to 36 inches tall and 18 inches wide. Plants produce small- to medium- fruit that matures from green to red. |
Needs summer shade. Relative Scoville rating: 1,000–1,500 |
Thai Burapa |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company |
90–95 days |
Bushy plants are 30 to 36 inches tall and produce small peppers that turn from green to red when ripe. |
Needs summer shade. Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–30,000 |
Thai Yellow Chili |
Smart Gardener and Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company |
100 days |
Plants are 30 to 36 inches tall and produce orange and red fruit. |
Needs summer shade. Relative Scoville rating: 5,000–10,000 |
Tunisian Baklouti |
Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company and Sustainable Seed Company |
110 days |
Plants are 38 to 48 inches tall and produce 4- to 6- inch-long fruit. The tapered fruit is red and medium to large in size. |
Relative Scoville rating: 1,000–5,000 |
Credit: Reimer Seed
Credit: Burpee
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References
Bosland, P.W. 1996. Capsicums: Innovative Uses of an Ancient Crop. p. 479-487. In: J. Janick (ed.), Progress in New Crops. ASHS Press. Arlington, VA. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1996/V3-479.html
Culburt, D. 2011. Heirlooms – and Other Seedy Words. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Heirloom.Vegetables.htm
Mossler, M., M. J. Aerts, and O.N. Nesheim. 2012. Florida Crop/Pest Management Profiles: Bell peppers. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pi040
Pernezny, K. and T. Kucharek. 2011. Some Common Diseases of Pepper in Florida. Gainesville: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh054
Rhodes, D. 2009. Vegetable Crops. Purdue Univ., Dept. of Hort. Landscape Architecure. Hort 401. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/rhodcv/hort410/pepper/pe00001.htm
Wright, S. 2010. Hot Peppers and Specialty Sweet Peppers. Cooperative Extension Service. Univ. KY, College Agri. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/NewCrops/introsheets/hotpeppers.pdf
Wright, S. 2013. Heirloom Vegetables. Cooperative Extension Service. Univ. KY, College Agri. http://www.uky.edu/Ag/NewCrops/introsheets/heirloom.pdf
