Hot Peppers

Hernandez is a hybrid Fresno type pepper that has a lot in common with a jalapeno. The fruit are conical, 2-3 inches in length, with thick flesh that can be eaten fresh, grilled, or minced in salsa. The flavor is tangy and smoky with a hint of sweetness. Plants reach 22 to 24 inches in height and the fruit have medium pungency. 75 days.

Colorful 2 to 3 inch long narrow hot peppers erupt into a riot of color atop short, compact plants for a gorgeous ornamental display. Peppers start out yellow, progress to orange, and finally to deep, bright red, creating a long lasting, multi-colored effect that is reminiscent of brightly burning flames. Riot was developed by Dr. Jim Baggett at Oregon State University, and although classified as ornamental, the peppers are edible. 60-70 days.

Cienfuegos yellow is the perhaps the most fragrant and fruity of the series. It still has the heat, ranging from 250,000 to 350,000 scoville units. High yield potential and early maturity are the hallmark of this impressive series. 80 to 85 days.

Cienfuegos comes in two other colors: orange, the mildest of the series, and red, the hottest of the series.

An ornamental piquin-type chile with green leaves and purple fruit that ripens to yellow, orange, and then red. This variety has fruit in all four color states at the same time. Very striking and great for containers. 120 days.

Also known as the bird pepper or chilepiquin. Released from New Mexico State University's Chile Pepper Breeding Program, and unique because the fruit falls from the stem at maturity, making harvesting easier. Oblong small fruit sets high in the plant canopy and when dried, has a pungency of 97,000 Scoville units. 120 days.

Reminiscent of its namesake, the crown of this plant bears clusters of brilliant red peppers arranged in a circle like the petals of a poinsettia. Thin, 3-inch long peppers point upwards atop dark green foliage, making for a very pretty plant. The fruit is edible, although very hot. Striking ornamental that would also be well suited to containers. 90 days.

This very different habanero is the result of an accidental cross between a chocolate-colored habanero with an orange habanero, resulting in striking coloration and extreme heat. Peppers start out as light green with a bit of purple streaking, progress to a mustard-hued peach before finally ripening to pure orange. Fruit is large and quite ruffled, making for a very beautiful habanero which is also shockingly hot. Tall plants are quite productive. 90 days.

Step the heat up a notch with the Cienfuegos Red, packing 300,000 to 400,000 scoville units. Break new ground and make a hellfire chili that only a true chilihead can appreciate. 2 x 1 inch fruit turn a brilliant red and complement the Cienfuegos series of kicking hot habaneros. And like the others, you will be impressed by the yield and early maturity. 80 to 85 days.

Cienfuegos comes in two other colors milder in heat: orange and yellow.

Released by the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station. The first chile pepper that turns bright yellow at maturity. Beautiful smooth fruits are 4 to 6 inches long and excellent for drying and making into wreaths or ristras. Also good to eat, with a typical chile pepper flavor. 75-80 days.

Cienfuegos literally means "100 fires", but you should consider that this variety is 200,000 to 300,000 fires (scoville units) – a very hot pepper. Fruit are 1.5 by ¾ inches. This hybrid is earlier than open pollinated habaneros and has bigger yields. Make your favorite salsa or hot sauce using this pepper. 80 to 85 days.

Cienfuegos comes in two other colors: the much hotter red and the fruitier yellow.

This NuMex type pepper is smaller and hotter than Big Jim and Joe E. Parker, delivering pungent 4 to 6 inch peppers. They turn bright scarlet when ripe. 75-80 days.

This is a very striking ornamental pepper with variegated green, white, and purple foliage and small purple fruit, which turn red when ripe. Plants are low-growing and mound shaped, which lend them to use in flower beds and borders. This variety is also known as Variegata. 75 days.