Plant Database / Hot chili pepper plant care

Hot chili pepper

Capsicum frutescens

146 plantings
23 for swap
17 wanted
80 stashed

Add to my plant list wish list seed list

Hot chili pepper is a member of the Capsicum family. Its botanical name is Capsicum frutescens.

A small, very hot, Capsicum frutescens pepper, spread by birds.
Note: this species is NOT synonymous with any bird pepper classified under Capsicum annuum.

Blooms normally display as a colour very similar to White. Its fruits normally ripen as a colour very similar to Cadmium red and Orange-red. Leaves usually appear in Ao green and Yellow-green colour. It is an edible fruit / vegetable that typically grows as an annual/perennial, which is defined as a plant that can matures and completes its lifecycle over the course of one year or more. Hot chili pepper is known for growing with a shrubby habit to a height of approximately 45.72 cm (that's 1.49 feet in imperial). This plant tends to bloom in mid spring, followed by first harvests in early autumn. Popular varieties of Hot chili pepper include: Tabasco, Jalapeno (Jalapa Hybrid), Zimbabwe bird, Burke's Backyard Thai, and Carolina reaper.

Brazil is believed to be where Hot chili pepper originates from.

Hot chili pepper tends to need a moderate amount of maintenance, so ensuring that you are aware of the soil, sun, ph and water requirements for this plant is quite important to ensure you have a happy and healthy plant.

This plant info is provided by the myfolia gardener's wiki. All details about Hot chili pepper have been kindly provided by our members.

How to grow Hot chili pepper

Full Sun
+
Medium

This plant prefers high humidity and needs a frost-free zone, or a sunroom or greenhouse, due to very long maturation time.

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Use Zone 8 - Zone 14 as your guideline for the appropriate climate for this plant. Hot chili pepper needs a soil ph of 6.0 to 8.5 (weakly acidic soil - weakly alkaline soil). Hot chili pepper is generally regarded as a tender plant, so it is really important to plant out well after your last frost date.

Growing Hot chili pepper from seed

Sow at a depth of approx. 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) and aim for a distance of at least 1.95 inches (5.0 cm) between Hot chili pepper plants. For optimal germination, soil temperature should be a minimum of 18°C / 64°F.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Hot chili pepper about 42 days before your last frost date .

Transplanting Hot chili pepper

Companion plants for Hot chili pepper

These plants have been known to grow well alongside Hot chili pepper so consider planting:

Repellent plants for Hot chili pepper

These plants will not grow well with Hot chili pepper so avoid planting these within close proximity:

Common Hot chili pepper problems

These problems, diseases and pests are known to affect Hot chili pepper plants:

Tobacco Etch Virus

Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) is caused when infected aphids and other insects com...

Hot chili pepper Etymology

The botanical epithet is from the Latin frutescens meaning “shrubby”

Other names for Hot chili pepper

Bird pepper, Bird chili, Chili padi, Thai hot, Malagueta, Hawaiian Super hot, Labuyo, Siling labuyo, phrik khi nu, kanthari mulagu, Peri peri, Chilli pepper, Chili pepper

None

Misspellings: Chilli padi, birds eye chilli, birdseye chilli, bird chilli, Hawaiian superhot, Thai superhot

Hot chili pepper care instructions

Category The lifecycle that this Hot chili pepper exhibits. Annual/Perennial Difficulty How easy is Hot chili pepper to grow? Moderate 3/5
Lifecycle The lifecycle that this Hot chili pepper exhibits. Annual/Perennial Growth Habit What shape or habit does Hot chili pepper grow into? Shrub
Hardiness How frost hardy is Hot chili pepper? Tender Country of Origin Where did Hot chili pepper come from? Brazil
Mature Height How tall does Hot chili pepper grow? 45.72 cm / 1.49 feet Mature Spread How wide does Hot chili pepper grow? 30.0 cm / 11.7 inches
USDA Zone Range Which zones does Hot chili pepper grow best in? Zone 8 to Zone 14 pH Range The level of acidity for Hot chili pepper. 6.0 - 8.5
Water Requirements How much water does Hot chili pepper require? Medium Nitrogen Requirements How much nitrogen fertilizer does Hot chili pepper need? Medium
Soil What sort of soil should I plant Hot chili pepper in? Help build our wiki! Sun How much sunlight does Hot chili pepper need to grow? Full Sun
Can Sow Direct? Can Hot chili pepper be sown directly? Yes Sowing Depth How deep to plant Hot chili pepper? 0.5 cm / 0.2 inches
Sowing Distance Apart How far apart to plant Hot chili pepper? 5.0 cm / 1.95 inches Sowing Row Distance Apart How far apart to plant rows of Hot chili pepper? Help build our wiki!
Ideal Germination Temperature Range What temperatures does Hot chili pepper need in order to germinate? 18°C / 64°F to 32°C / 90°F Growing Temperatures What temperatures are best to grow Hot chili pepper in? Help build our wiki! to Help build our wiki!
Planting Distance Apart How far apart to plant Hot chili pepper seedlings. Help build our wiki! Planting Row Distance Apart How far apart to plant rows of Hot chili pepper seedlings. Help build our wiki!
Bloom Time When will Hot chili pepper bloom? Mid Spring Harvest Time When is Hot chili pepper ready for harvest? Early Autumn
Pruning Time When should I prune Hot chili pepper? Early Autumn

How long does Hot chili pepper take to grow?

These estimates for how long Hot chili pepper takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world. Start logging and journaling your observations to participate!

Days to Germination How long does it take Hot chili pepper to germinate? 14 days Average 14 days | Min 7 days | Max 33 days (5)
Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Hot chili pepper? + 31 days Average 31 days | Min days | Max days (0)
Days to Maturity How long until Hot chili pepper is ready for harvest / bloom? + 102 days Average 102 days | Min 54 days | Max 2095 days (7)
Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Hot chili pepper? = 147 days

When should I plant Hot chili pepper?

Our when to plant Hot chili pepper estimates are relative to your last frost date. Enter your frost dates and we'll calculate your sowing and planting dates for you!

Footnotes

Popular varieties of Hot chili pepper

View the complete variety list for Hot chili pepper »

Hot chili pepper Tags

frutescens More...

Hot chili pepper Forums

No groups yet - why not start a new one?

Hot chili pepper