Spring Garden Fair Peppers/Chiles

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: Carolina Reaper C. chinense

Declared "World's Hottest Pepper" in 2013. Tall plants, up to 5', produce fiery-hot round pods with a little tail. Ripens to red. Use fresh or dried. Heat level: 10+

Extremely Hot: Chiltepin, Tepin C. annuum

From Sonora region of Mexico. Small egg-shaped pods are ¼–⅜" long by ¼–⅜" wide. Upright fruit have thin flesh. Matures from green to red. Heat level: 9

Extremely Hot: Habanero C. chinense

Classic distinctive habanero flavor, fruity & fiery. Pods ripen from light green to bright orange-red. Heat level: 10

Extremely Hot: Malagueta C. frutescens

Heavy production of small firecracker-type pepper popular in Brazil, Mozambique, and Portugual. Also called Piri Piri. Ripens to red. Sweet citrusy bite with a touch of bitter. Used in sauces and poultry dishes. Heat level: 8

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Extremely Hot: NuMex Twilight C. annuum

Edible and also an ornamental plant. Suitable for containers. Upright-growing pods start out purple then turn yellow, orange and finally red, and are about 1" long. Heat level: 9

Extremely Hot: Santaka C. annuum

A Japanese variety. Pods are approximately 2½" long. Ripens from green to red. Fruit grows upwards in large clusters. Very productive. 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: Trinidad Scorpion C. chinense

Unique pod shape with a scorpion tail, though some percentage will more closely resemble Bhut Jolokia (Ghost pepper). As hot or hotter than Bhut Jolokia! Heat level: 10

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: Cherrapeño C. annuum

Strawberry-shaped pods are about 1½" long. Taste is initially sweet then is quickly followed by medium heat. Substitute for Sparky/VTR-95, a MG favorite. Heat level: 4

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: Er Jing Tiao C. annuum

Beloved chile from Sichuan region of China. Thin curved pods are 4–6" long, and ripen green to red. Used in all stages: green, red, dried. Heat level: 7

Hot: Espelette C. annuum

From Basque region of France. The fruits are conical shaped and 3–4" long. They are red when mature. Good dried. Heat level: 5

Hot: Fish C. annuum

Pre-1870s African-American heirloom. Beautiful variegated foliage. 2–3" long variegated fruits ripen from striped to all red. Traditionally used in Maryland oyster and crab houses. Heat level: 6

Hot: Gochujang King hybrid C. annuum

Classic chile from Korea. Dry and grind to make the bright red chile powder used for making kim chee and more. Hybrid. 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: Ring of Fire C. annuum

Compact plants produce early, heavy yields of cayenne-type pods. Use fresh at any stage or ripen to red for fullest flavor and drying. Heat level: 7

Hot: Rocoto/Manzano Red 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: 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 MG 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 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 MG 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