Chilli Varieties P-Z
Varieties P-Z
Peruvian Purple (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Peru.
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Ornamental type variety produces 4 cm long by 1 cm wide purple pods. The pods ripen to red approximately 85-95 days after transplanting. This beautiful plant has dark purple stems, purple/green variegated leaves and produce stunning purple flowers
Peter Pepper (Capsicum annuum)
Origins USA.
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Bushy plant to about a metre giving a good yield of 9 cm long fruits. Medium thick fleshed with a sweet hot flavour when ripened to red, also other varieties of yellow and orange. Novelty chilli known for its pornographic shape.
Pettie Belle (Capsicum chinense)
Origins Africa.
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A habanero chilli selected by Sea Spring Seeds from the kpakpo shito land-race of Ghana. A high proportion of the small fruit (about 25 mm in diameter) are bell-shaped, making this variety possibly the smallest bell pepper in the world. They are hot, but measuring around 37,500 SHUs they are still one of the milder habanero’s. The medium tall, bushy plants can be gown in the ground or larger pots, though they will need support to stay upright.
Piment Curry (Capsicum baccatum)
Origins Mauritius.
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A Mauritian Aji that is thin-fleshed, wrinkled fruit are about the size and shape of a forefinger, turning from green to red as they ripen. Mauritians like to eat this chilli green, either gently fried in oil or coated in a spicy batter made from chick pea flour and deep fried.
Piemento De Padron (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Spain.
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Pimiento de Padron is an unusual dual purpose chilli from the department of Galicia in Northwest Spain. In Galicia the young, green fruit of Padron chillies are traditionally harvested at about 5cm in length, when the seeds are still soft and the skin tender. The fruit are then fried in olive oil, topped with a little salt and eaten whole, seeds and all. Though they are usually mild, a hot one occasionally slips through in a culinary game of Russian roulette. Left on the plant, the fruit will eventually grow to about 3cm wide and 10cm long, turning from green to red as they ripen. When mature the fruit are thin-fleshed, fairly hot and can be used as a spice.
Poblano (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Mexico.
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Bushy plant to about a metre high giving up to 14 cm thick fleshed fruits, varying in heat between mild to medium. The dark green Poblano will ripen to reddish brown and is always cooked or roasted. Roasting will give a smokier flavour. Versatile chilli, good for stuffing, when dried known as the Ancho and used in Mexican sauces and moles.
Poinsettia (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Japan.
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Bushy plant to about a metre high with upright 7 cm long fruits. This very hot chilli will grow upright in clusters and will ripen green to red will also make an attractive pot plant about 70cm high.
Prairie Fire (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Unknown.
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Compact early ornamental with 3 cm upright chillis, ripening from cream to orange to reds. Good pot plant for growing on windowsills to about 40 cm high with plenty of fruit.
Pretty Purple (Capsicum annuum)
Origins USA.
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Busy early ornamental with 2 cm round/teardrop fruits, ripening from purple eventually to red. Good for growing in pots to about 50-60 cm high with plenty of fruit. The leaf and stem also has slip purple tinges throughout to varying degrees.
Pumpkin (Capsicum chinense)
Origins Unknown.
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This appropriately-named variety produces pumpkin-shaped fruit that measure 20 mm in diameter. The fruit mature from dark green to orange, and have a strong habanero flavour when ripe. The plants are somewhat prostrate with spreading branches that are laden with fruit. They do well unsupported in large pots, growbags or the ground.
Purple Haze (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Unknown.
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An attractive cayenne chilli with elongated (75 mm) fruit that start a stunning dark lilac then turn to a purple-tinged red as they mature. The shrubby, sprawling plants have an open growth habit and are further decorated with purple stems and flowers. They are well-adapted to growing both in the ground and large pots. Approximate heat level: 75,000 SHU
Raindrop (Capsicum chinense)
Origins Peru.
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A Peruvian speciality the milder habanero’s. The fruit are often top-shaped, though this can vary, even on the same plant. They measure about 30 x 45mm and have a glossy skin that looks as if it has been polished. When they are young, the fruit are a light yellow colour punctuated with large patches of lilac purple. As they mature, they turn to orange and finally red. The plants are not overly tall and so can be grown either in pots or the ground, though in both cases they will need support. A stunningly attractive plant that will lighten up any greenhouse or conservatory. Approximate heat level: 35,000 SHU
Ring of Fire (Capsicum annuum)
Origins USA.
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Bushy plant to about a metre high with curling cayenne type of fruit, 9 cm long, turning from green to red. Plenty of thin fiery tapered chillis developing early in the season and can be grown in pots on a windowsill.
Riot (Capsicum annuum)
Origins USA.
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Small bushy little plants produces a mass of colourful thin upright pods. The well-exposed pods ripen steadily over a long period from a cream yellow to orange to red. A great container plant for the kitchen windowsill or patio.
Rodeo (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Unknown.
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The round fruit measure about 38mm in diameter and change from green to dark red as they ripen. They have a thick flesh, and can be stuffed and pickled for a unique snack or starter. The medium-tall plants are fairly well-behaved and can be grown in large pots and growbags.
Approximate heat level: 5,100 SHU
Robustini (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Italy.
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Good bushy tall plant from the pepperoncini family, fruits about 10cm long, medium fleshed and mild. Usually when yellow to green and commonly pickled to be used in deli bar sandwiches.
Rooster Spur (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Japan.
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Fruits are thin and short (about 4.5x 20mm) and very hot, turning from green to red as they ripen. Rooster Spur is quite late to mature for a C. annuum, and may not reach its full potential in northern Britain. Plants have very small leaves and a bushy growth habit that needs no support. This variety is perfectly adapted to containers, growing equally well in small 13cm pots and larger 30cm ones: the plants just get bigger and bear more fruit as the pots get larger.
Serrano (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Mexico.
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Bushy plant to about a metre high with good yield. Stems and leaves have fine hairs giving them a fuzzy look. About 6 cm long, thick fleshed chilli, shaped like a bullet, it has a clean fresh green flavour with a good heat ripens from light green to red. Used in salsas, sauces or good for pickling, the ripened red version is sweeter than the green.
Serrano del Sol (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Mexico.
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Hybrid. Traditionally eaten green, the bullet-shaped fruit of Serrano chillies are one of the mainstays of Mexican cooking. Serrano del Sol is early and prolific, producing fleshy fruit that measure about 1.5 cm wide by 8 - 10 cm long. The fruit ripen from green to red and can be used at either stage of maturity. Unlike most chillis, the plants are characterised by hairy stems and leaves. They are tall and untidy, with many loose branches, and generally do better in the ground.
Stumpy (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Unknown.
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Named because of its diminutive size. The wedge-shaped, upright fruit are about 30mm long and produced above the foliage in bunches. They are medium hot, and turn from yellow to orange and red as they mature. Because of their small stature and compact growth habit, the plants do especially well in small pots and are ideally suited for windowsill growing.
Sparkler (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Unknown.
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A result of an accidental cross, these very attractive, small, compact plants produce elongated, pointed fruit that are 30 to 35 mm in length. The fruit are remarkably hot and grow upright above the foliage, changing from pastel yellow to orange to red as they mature. Though somewhat late to ripen, Sparkler has the potential to yield masses of fruit, and is ideal for growing in both small and large pots. A true edible ornamental.]
Spike (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Unknown.
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Spike produces masses of thin, sharply-pointed and elongated fruit that measure 4x45mm. The fruit change from green to red and are fairly late to mature. The short, slightly sprawling plants are highly productive and grow well in both small and large pots. Approximate heat level: 97,000 SHU
Super Chilli (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Unknown.
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Bushy plant to about over a metre high, with up to 4 cm upright pointed chilli, compact and a very productive chilli plant giving lots of fruit, ripening to orange and red. Fiery heat good in Thai and Asian cooking, or pickle them if you get too many. Good for growing in a pot on the windowsill as its so productive.
Super Shepherd (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Italy.
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Tallish plant to about a metre, giving about 12 cm long fruits, sweet Italian pepper, thick fleshed with juicy strong flavour, ripening green to bright red.
Tabasco (Capsicum frutescens)
Origins Costa Rica.
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Good pot plant but will grow to well over a metre tall with 4 cm long upright fruits, turning from pale yellow to orange to red. The chilli has a thin flesh and an intense heat and go into the making of Tabasco sauce which originates from Tabasco in Mexico.
Tangerine Dream (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Unknown.
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An attractive variety with round fruit that grow upright and measure about 38 mm in diameter. They are somewhat late to mature, changing from green to a spectacular orange that gives this variety its name. The flesh is thick, making the fruit great for stuffing. The branches of the shrubby plants need support, especially as the fruit develop. Approximate heat level: 2,100 SHU
Telica (Capsicum chinense)
Origins Mexico.
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Hybrid. Telica is a jalapeño chilli producing sausage-shaped fruit that turn from green to red as they mature. The thick-fleshed fruit are large for a jalapeño, measuring 34 x 103 mm, and their surface is often marked by corky striations, a trait that that only adds to their appeal. The medium-sized plants produce fruit earlier and in greater abundance than the hotter, 'Early Jalapeno' variety. They can be grown in containers such as large pots and grow bags. Though the fruit are traditionally eaten green – when they have a herbaceous, green pepper flavour – they they are equally as good when red ripe.
Tennessee Teardrop (Capsicum annuum)
Origins USA.
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Bushy plant with upright 3-4 cm teardrop fruits ripening from a mottled light purple to a bright red. Good plant for a pot, growing to about 50 cm.
Thai Green Curry (Capsicum chinense)
Origins Thailand.
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A Thai variety whose name describes it perfectly. The pointed, elongated fruit stretch out to about 150mm. They start a dark green colour, and then turn to an eye-pleasing red as they ripen. The dark green colour of the unripe fruit makes this the chilli of choice for a Thai green curry, while their low level of heat means they won't blow off the top of your head. The large bushy plants are quite tidy, though they will need staking as the productive plants get top heavy as the fruit load increases. Approximate heat level: mild
Thai Hot (Capsicum frutescens)
Origins Thailand.
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Edible ornamental compact little bush about 80 cm high, so can be grown in a pot on a windowsill. Plenty of 2 cm upright very hot chillis ripening green to red, good in oriental dishes. Very productive plant ideal for drying.
Thai Mound (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Unknown.
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Tiny bullets mature deep red on bushy plants up to 12" (30cm) tall. Ideal windowsill pot variety.
Thai Pumpkin (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Thailand.
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Its name says it all: a Thai chilli shaped like a pumpkin. The flattened fruits are strongly ribbed and measure about 4 cm in diameter. They turn from an attractive green to a bright red as they mature, and are good for stuffing or spicing up a curry. Plants are medium-sized, and their growth habit is best described as an open bush, with branching from the base. Approximate heat level: 36,000 SHU
Tri Colour Variegata (Capsicum annuum)
Origins USA.
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Stunning ornamental with 2 cm oval purple chillis eventually ripening to red. Good for growing on windowsills to about 1 foot high with plenty of fruit. Each plant will look completely different with the amount of variegation on the leaves, white to green to purple.
Trinity (Capsicum chinense)
Origins Unknown.
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The deeply grooved fruit of this variety are quite erratic in shape and size, but can be as large as as 30 x 65 mm. They turn from lime green to red as they ripen and, as with other habanero’s, are distinguished by a likeable fruity aroma that adds a distinctive flavour to salsas and chilli sauces. They are not, however, overly hot,and are more manageable in the kitchen than other habanero’s. The medium-sized, spreading plants are absolutely laden with fruit, and need support to stay upright.
Turtle Claw (Capsicum chinense)
Origins Thailand.
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The twisted, knobbly fruit of this variety measure about 9.5 x 38 mm, and mature from light green to pastel yellow. The very hot fruit are a distinctive mix of habanero and lemon flavours. The plants are very productive and have a bushy growth habit that makes them ideal for growing in pots. Flavourful, productive and compact.
Ventura Poblano (Capsicum chinense)
Origins Mexico.
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Hybrid. The Poblano/Ancho type of chilli is characterised by, more or less, heart-shaped fruit that are only mildly hot. They have a rich, complex flavour and a meaty texture that puts them at the top of the chilli must-have list. Thick-fleshed and very dark green. As they mature the fruit turn a spectacular chocolate brown. Delicious at either stage of maturity, the fruit have a shiny skin and are somewhat elongated, measuring about 7 cm x 18 cm. The tall, spreading plants do better in the ground, and will need some support to prevent their branches from breaking.
Zimbabwe Bird (Capsicum annuum)
Origins Zimbabwe.
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This delicious and very pungent peppers of this variety are around 3cm long when fully mature. The pods grow erect on bushy plants and ripen from green to a deep ruby red colour approximately 90 days after transplanting. The plant is relatively large, typically growing 60cm high and up to 40 - 50 cmacross and is very productive. Grows well in pots and over-winters well.