Extremely Hot: Bhut Jolokia C. chinense x frutescens Extremely hot pepper from India, aka 'Ghost pepper.' Light green pods turn red when mature. Much variability in plants & pods. Heat level: 10 |
Extremely Hot: Chiltepin, Tepin C. annuum From Sonora region of Mexico. Small egg-shaped pods are ¼–?" long by ¼–?" wide. Upright fruit have thin flesh. Matures from green to red. Heat level: 9 |
Extremely Hot: Thai Hot Red C. annuum Very productive variety. Medium-walled pods are tapered and pointed at the bottom, about 1½–2" long. Pods grow upright. Dark red at maturity. Heat level: 9 |
Extremely Hot: Zimbabwe Bird C. annuum Plant produces good yields of 1" long by ¼" wide pods. Fruit grows upwards on plant. Initially light green, then orange, and finally red when mature. Heat level: 9 |
Hot: Aji Amarillo C. baccatum Popular South American variety. Pods are tapered, about 5" long by 1½" wide. The shiny, greenish yellow fruit ripen to orange. Consume fresh or dried. Heat level: 7 |
Hot: Cherry Hot C. annuum Compact plants produce heavy yields of 1–2" round, thick-walled pods. Great for pickling or stuffing, but can also be used fresh. Ripen to red for sweetest flavor. Heat level: 6 |
Hot: De Arbol C. annuum Plant produces good yields of 3" long by ½" wide hot peppers. Peppers turn from green to red when mature. Heat level: 7 |
Hot: Jalapeño C. annuum High yielding jalapeño. Hot, thick-walled. Turns from green to red when mature. Best harvested when green. Excellent for making salsa and pickling. Heat level: 5 |
Hot: Indian Jwala C. annuum Plant produces heavy yields of 4" long, slender, wrinkled peppers. Most popular pepper in India. Very ornamental with peppers in all stages of ripening. Heat level: 8 |
Hot: Rocoto/Manzano Orange C. pubescens The purple flowers, long, hairy stems, and jet-black seeds make this an unusual variety. The thick-walled pods are apple-shaped and are about 2" across. Heat level: 8 |
Hot: Serrano C. annuum Pods are about 3" long x ¾" in diameter. Round and tapered at the bottom. Dark green initially, they turn red at maturity. Excellent taste. Heat level: 7 |
Mild: Aji Dulce C. chinense This heirloom pepper is similar to habanero, but with only a touch of heat. Flavor is complex and aromatic. Heat level: 2 |
Mild: Aleppo C. annuum From the Kurdish area of Syria. 15,000 SHU but may be as high as 150,000 SHU. Also known as Halaby pepper. Heat level: 1 |
Mild: Anaheim C. annuum Mildly hot pods are 7–8" long. Use green or red. Perfect for stuffing and Tex-Mex dishes. Heat level: 2 |
Mild: Ancho / Poblano C. annuum Pods are 5–7" long and about 2¾" wide. The fresh pods are called poblano, and ancho refers to the dried form. A traditional stuffing pepper. Heat level: 3 |
Mild: Black Hungarian C. annuum The 3–4" long fruit has the same shape as a jalapeño. Color changes to blackish-red at maturity. Pods have a delicious flavor. Heat level: 1 |
Mild: Holy Mole C. annuum Salvatierra under new name. Hybrid pasilla-type pepper with good weight, length and diameter. Uniform fruits mature from dark green to a chocolate color. Strong plant produces early. Heat level: 3 |
Mild: Jalapeño TAM C. annuum Developed by Texas A&M University. Has standard jalapeño flavor with much milder heat. Heat level: 2 |
Mild: NuMex Big Jim C. annuum Big Jim is a popular variety. Pods are very large, 8–10" long and about 2" in width. The pods are thick-walled. Great taste. An Master Gardener favorite. Heat level: 2 |
Mild: NuMex Suave Orange C. chinense Developed at New Mexico State University. Habanero-type flavor but much less heat. Has a citrus-like taste. Orange at maturity. Heat level: 3 |
Mild: NuMex Suave Red C. chinense Developed at New Mexico State University. Habanero-type flavor but much less heat. Has a citrus-like taste. Red at maturity. Heat level: 3 |
Mild: Padrón C. annuum Wonderful pepper from Padrón in Spain. Wrinkled pods are picked small and green. Often eaten fried and garnished with kosher sea salt as a tapas. Heat level: 2 |
Mild: Peri Dot C. bacatuum The bell-shaped pods are bright orange and very thick walled. Excellent flavor. Plant has a long growing season, and can be used as an ornamental. Heat level: 1 |
Mild: Pizza Pepper C. bacatuum Heavy, thick-walled, cone-shaped 3–4" pods with a crunchy texture and delicious flavor. Dark-red colored at maturity. Heat level: 1 |
Mild: Shishito C. annuum Plant produces high yields of 2¼" long by ½" wide mild peppers. Peppers turn from green to red when mature. Similar in preparation and flavor to Pimiento de Padróns. Heat level: 2 |
Sweet Bell: Canary C. annuum Thick walled green peppers mature to bright yellow. Resistant to two strains of tobacco mosaic virus. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Bell: Coral (Orange) C. annuum Beautiful big bell peppers color up from green to bright orange at maturity. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Bell: Gourmet C. annuum Swiss variety, sweetest orange pepper. Typically produces 6 to 12 4-lobed fruits per plant. Bell-shaped fruit are 3" wide and 5" long. Resistant to tobacco mosaic virus. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Bell: King of the North C. annuum Medium-sized green bell peppers ripen to a sweet red. Early variety is a good choice for areas with short, cool summers. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Bell: Lilac Bell C. annuum Deep purple bell peppers on 3' plants. Ripens from cream to lilac to purple, then to red on full maturity. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Bell: Mini Orange C. annuum Heirloom miniature orange bell from Ohio. Short, stocky 16" plants are covered with 2" fruits with 2–3 lobes, excellent sweet fresh flavor. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Bell: Mini Red C. annuum Heirloom miniature red bell from Ohio. Short, stocky 16" plants are covered with 2" fruits with 2–3 lobes, excellent sweet fresh flavor. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Bell: Mini Yellow C. annuum Heirloom miniature yellow bell from Ohio. Short, stocky 16" plants are covered with 2" fruits with 2–3 lobes, excellent sweet fresh flavor. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Bell: Red Bull C. annuum Large thick-walled peppers on strong, productive plants. Profuse foliage protects fruits from sun scald. Resistant to tobacco mosaic virus and bacterial spot. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Carmen F1 C. annuum Early and beautiful Italian bull's horn-style fruit. 6" long and 2½" wide shoulders tapering to a point. Very sweet when ripened to red with medium-thick flesh. Hybrid. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Corno di Toro Giallo C. annuum Shaped like a bull's horn. Pods are 6" to 10" long and 1½" wide. Ripens to bright yellow color. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Corno di Toro Rosso C. annuum Shaped like a bull's horn. Pods are 6" to 10" long and 1½" wide. Ripens to deep red color. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Cuollarici C. annuum Large curled pod from Tricarico, great for fried peppers. An Master Gardener favorite. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Jimmy Nardello C. annuum Large sweet fryer and very popular Italian sweet. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Jon's Long Orange C. annuum Long thick-fleshed peppers are a beautiful, intense orange color. The very sweet and delicious fruits are produced abundantly on healthy plants. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Lipstick C. annuum Sweet, thin-walled, 4" long and tapered to a blunt point. Dark red at maturity. The plants are productive and relatively early producing. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Marconi Golden C. annuum Big, 7–9" long pods. Very sweet, great for grilling, frying, or eating fresh. Yellow/orange color. A frequent taste test winner. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Marconi Rosso C. annuum Like Marconi Golden, but red. Big, 7–9" long pods. Very sweet, great for grilling or frying or consuming fresh. A frequent taste test winner. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Romanian Gogosari C. annuum Peppers are sweet and full flavored. Mature to red. A prolific producer. Heat level: 0 |
Sweet Non-bell: Sweet Sunset C. annuum Loads of sweet & colorful banana peppers on an upright, compact plant, perfect for containers and small gardens. AAS winner. Hybrid. Heat level: 0 |