List of Capsicum cultivars facts for kids

Some types of chili peppers: green bird's eye, yellow 'Madame Jeanette', and red cayenne peppers.

This article is about the many different types of peppers, also known as Capsicum cultivars. Peppers belong to the plant group called Capsicum. There are five main kinds of cultivated peppers: C. annuum, C. chinense, C. baccatum, C. frutescens, and C. pubescens.

There are about 50,000 different pepper varieties around the world! This list will show you some cool examples, but it's just a small peek at all the amazing peppers out there.

Main Types of Peppers

Scientists believe there are around 50,000 different kinds of peppers grown globally. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a huge collection of over 6,200 pepper samples. This collection includes many types of Capsicum annuum, which is one of the most common pepper species.

The five main types of cultivated peppers are:

• C. annuum
• C. chinense
• C. baccatum
• C. frutescens
• C. pubescens

These main types also have many smaller groups, called "varieties." Sometimes, different pepper types can even be crossed to create new kinds!

Popular Pepper Species and Their Varieties

Here are some well-known peppers found within the main species:

• Capsicum annuum: This group includes many familiar peppers like bell peppers, cayennes, Friggitello, jalapeños, paprika, and serrano peppers.
  • A special group within Capsicum annuum is the 'New Mexico Group'. These are often called Hatch or Anaheim peppers. Examples include Big Jim, Chimayó, and Sandia peppers.
• Capsicum baccatum: These peppers are mostly from South America. Examples include ají amarillo, ají limón, and criolla sella.
• Capsicum chinense: This group is famous for some of the hottest peppers! It includes all the Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets, Trinidad Scorpions, the Bhut Jolokia, and the super-hot Carolina Reaper.
• Capsicum frutescens: This species includes the Tabasco pepper and many peppers grown in India. Sometimes, people don't see it as a separate species from C. annuum.
• Capsicum pubescens: This group includes the Rocoto and Manzano peppers. These plants are special because they have purple flowers, black seeds, and fuzzy dark green leaves. They can grow like big vines, up to 5 meters long!

How New Peppers Are Made

Pepper plants come in many different shapes, colors, and flavors. They are grown for various uses, like spices, vegetables, or even herbal medicines. The word "cultivar" means a plant variety that has been developed and kept by humans.

Some pepper types are called "heirloom varieties." These are old types that people have grown for many years, saving seeds from the best plants each harvest. An example is the California Wonder bell pepper.

Other types are "open-pollinated." This means their seeds are collected after plants have been pollinated naturally, often by wind or insects. While these seeds usually grow into plants that look like the parent, sometimes a little bit of mixing with other pepper types can happen.

"Self-pollinated" varieties are similar, but growers take steps to make sure the plant only pollinates itself. This might involve covering the plant to stop insects from bringing pollen from other plants. This method helps make sure the seeds produce plants that are exactly like the parent.

Hybrid Peppers

"Hybrid" peppers are created when two different self-pollinated pepper types are intentionally crossed. The seeds from this cross grow into a new "hybrid" variety. These hybrid plants are often stronger and produce more peppers than their parent plants.

If you save seeds from a hybrid pepper, they won't grow into plants that are exactly like the hybrid parent. This is why growers have to cross the two original parent plants again each time they want to produce more hybrid seeds. Many of the peppers you see in stores today are hybrid varieties because they have improved traits like higher yields.

Capsicum annuum: The Most Common Peppers

Capsicum annuum peppers originally came from southern North America, Central America, and South America. Native peoples in the Americas have been growing them for thousands of years. Now, they are grown all over the world.

These peppers come in many shapes and sizes. They can be sweet or very hot. Even though they are all the same species, they have many different names. In America, sweet peppers without any heat are often called sweet peppers, and the blocky ones are called bell peppers. Peppers that have heat are called hot peppers or chili peppers. In the UK, sweet ones are "peppers" and hot ones are "chillies." In Australia and India, "capsicum" usually means bell peppers, and "chilli" means the hotter kinds.

The plant itself is a small, bushy plant that can grow from about 1.5 to 5 feet tall. Its white flowers turn into fruit. The fruit is usually green when it's young, but it can also be white. As it ripens, it usually turns red, but some types can ripen to yellow, orange, peach, brown, or purple. These peppers grow best in warm, dry places.

Capsicum annuum

Image	Name	Type	Origin	Heat	Pod size	Description
Aleppo pepper	Aleppo		Syria and Turkey	15,000 SHU		Grown in Syria and Turkey. It's used as a spice after being dried and ground.
Anaheim pepper	Anaheim	Anaheim	United States	500–2,500 SHU	15 cm	A mild pepper from New Mexico. It's often used for chile relleno. When ripe, it turns red.
Baklouti pepper	Baklouti		Tunisia	1,000–5,000 SHU		Grown in North Africa. It is used to make Harissa, a spicy paste.
Banana peppers	Banana	Waxy		0–500 SHU	15 cm	Often pickled and used in sandwiches. It's not very hot. Its shape and color look like a banana.
Bird's Eye chili	Bird's Eye	Small hot	Southeast Asia	50,000–100,000 SHU	4 cm	A Southeast Asian pepper, often called Thai chili in the US. It has thin fruit with a pointed tip.
Black Heart chili	Black Heart	Ornamental/Culinary	Austria	5,000–20,000 SHU	2–3 cm	Plants can grow up to 1.2 m tall. The flowers are purple. The heart-shaped fruits turn from black to red.
Black Hungarian peppers	Black Hungarian	Ornamental/Culinary	Hungary	5,000–10,000 SHU	5–7 cm	These peppers are cone-shaped. They start green, then turn deep purple or black, and finally ripen to red.
Dried Cascabel chili peppers	Cascabel		Mexico	3,000 SHU	1 inch	Small, round fruits usually dried. They have a nutty flavor. The name means "rattle" because the seeds rattle inside when dried.
Cayenne pepper	Cayenne (Red)	Cayenne	French Guiana	30,000–50,000 SHU	5 inches	This long, thin pepper is used widely in China and India. It's often dried and ground into powder.
Cherry peppers	Cherry	Pimiento		100-500 SHU	1 inch	Named for its small, red, round fruit. It's often used fresh or pickled. It's also called pimento.
Cheongyang pepper	Cheongyang	long, hot	Korea	10,000 SHU		A medium-sized chili developed in Korea. It's a mix of a local Jejudo chili and a Bird's eye chili.
Chilaca peppers	Chilaca	Pasilla	Mexico	1,000–2,000 SHU	15 cm	Popular in Mexican cooking. When dried, it's called a pasilla. It has a dark brown color and a smoky flavor.
Chiltepin pepper	Chiltepin	Chiltepin	Mexico	50,000–100,000 SHU	0.5 cm	A small, hot fruit often eaten by birds. It's thought to be the ancestor of many cultivated peppers.
	Chimayó		United States	4,000–6,000 SHU
Cubanelle peppers	Cubanelle			1–1,000 SHU	5 inches	A tapered fruit that is green when young and turns red when ripe. Often fried in Italian cooking.
Dangjo chili peppers	Dangjo		Korea			Light green or bright yellow chili peppers with a mild heat.
Chile de árbol	De Árbol		Mexico	15,000–30,000 SHU	8 cm	This slender pepper is grown mainly in Mexico. Its name means "from a tree" in Spanish.
Facing Heaven chili	Facing Heaven	Pimiento	China	30,000-50,000SHU
Fish pepper	Fish			5,000–30,000 SHU
Fresno chili	Fresno	Fresno	United States	2,500–10,000 SHU	9 cm	Similar to a jalapeño but with thinner walls. It's often used ripe and in salsa.
Pickled Friggitelli	Friggitelli (Peperoncini)	Waxy	Italy	100–500 SHU	8 cm	Sweet and mild, used a lot in Italian and Greek food. Often pickled.
Guntur chillies	Guntur chilli			30,000–350,000 SHU		A well-known pepper used as a spice, food addition, or vegetable.
Hungarian wax peppers	Hungarian Wax	Waxy		2,500–8,000 SHU		A wide, medium-hot pepper used in Hungarian food. Often pickled, dried, and ground into "paprika".
Italian sweet peppers	Italian Sweet	Long, sweet	Italy			Used in Spanish cooking.
Jalapeño	Jalapeño	Jalapeño	Mexico	2,500–8,000 SHU	9 cm	Very popular, especially in the US. Often pickled or canned. A smoke-dried ripe jalapeño is called a chipotle.
Korean chili pepper	Korean chili		Korea	1,500 SHU	3–4 inches	Also known as "Korean Dark Green" or "Korean Hot."
Medusa pepper	Medusa	Ornamental				A sweet, decorative chili pepper that grows upright and has bright fruits.
Guajillo chilis (dried Mirasol)	Mirasol		Mexico	2,000–5,000 SHU		The dried version of the Mirasol chili is called guajillo. It's used to make a red sauce for tamales.
NuMex Twilight peppers	NuMex peppers	Ornamental	United States			The Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University has created many unique chili types. NuMex Twilight peppers are shown here.
Peter Pepper	Peter Pepper	Ornamental	United States and Mexico	5,000–30,000 SHU	8–10 cm	A rare, old-fashioned hot pepper grown for its unique shape.
Peperoncino	Peperoncino	Cayenne	Italy	15,000–30,000 SHU		A general Italian name for hot chili peppers, especially those from Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutescens.
Peperone crusco	Peperone crusco	Sweet	Italy	0 SHU		Italian name for a crispy, dry, and sweet pepper from the Basilicata region.
Pequin pepper plant	Pequin	Small Hot	Mexico	100,000–140,000 SHU		Also spelled piquín.
Piment d'Espelette	Piment d'Espelette	Pimiento	Basque Country (French part)	1,500 - 2,500 SHU		Fresh fruits are known as "Gorria," which means "red" in Basque. Grown in Espelette since about 1650.
Padrón peppers	Padrón	Pimiento	Spain	500–5,000 SHU	3.5–6 cm	Sometimes called pimientos de Herbón. Most are mild, but about 1 in 10 can be quite hot.
Poblano pepper	Poblano	Poblano	Mexico	1,000–2,000 SHU	13 cm	A large, heart-shaped, dark green pepper very popular in Mexico. Often used for chile relleno. When dried early, it's called an ancho. When fully ripe and dried, it's a mulato.
Prik Kee Nu peppers	Prik Kee Nu	Small Hot	Thailand	50,000–100,000 SHU	3 cm	One of many peppers called Thai pepper. It has very short fruit and is very hot. Its Thai name means "mouse/rat dropping chili."
	Puya		Mexico	5,000 SHU		A hot, medium-sized pepper that changes from green to red. Also known as a 'Pulla'.
	Santa Fe Grande	Fresno				A very productive pepper used in the Southwestern US. The conical fruits change from greenish-yellow to orange-yellow to red. They grow upright on 24-inch plants. It has a slightly sweet taste and is fairly mild.
Serrano peppers	Serrano	Serrano	Mexico	10,000–23,000 SHU	5 cm	A thin, tapered fruit that turns red when ripe. It doesn't need to be peeled before use.
	Shishito		Japan	50-200 SHU
Siling Mahaba	Siling Mahaba		Philippines	50,000 SHU		A chili pepper grown in the Philippines and a popular ingredient in Filipino Cuisine.

Capsicum baccatum: Fruity Flavors

These peppers have a special, fruity flavor. They are often ground into colorful powders for cooking, and each powder is known by its color.

Capsicum baccatum

Image	Name	Origin	Heat	Pod size	Description
Bishop's Crown pepper	Bishop's Crown		10,000–30,000 SHU	6 cm	A C. baccatum type from Barbados. These medium-hot peppers have a unique shape that looks like a bishop's hat. They are strong plants and can grow for many years.
Lemon Drop pepper	Lemon Drop		30,000–50,000 SHU	4 cm	A very productive C. baccatum type. The peppers have thin walls and a fruity taste with medium heat.
Piquante pepper	Piquante pepper		1,000–2,000 SHU	2 cm	Mild, sweet, and tangy flavor, good for many dishes.

Capsicum chinense: The Super Hots

The name Capsicum chinense or "Chinese capsicum" is a bit misleading. All Capsicum species actually came from the New World (the Americas). A Dutch botanist named Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin gave them this name in 1776 because he thought they came from China. Most peppers in this group have a distinct flavor that is similar to each other.

Capsicum chinense

Image	Name	Origin	Heat	Pod size	Description
Adjuma chili	Adjuma		100,000–500,000 SHU		Very hot, first grown in Suriname.
Ají Dulce	Ají Dulce		0–500 SHU		A type of seasoning pepper. It's related to the habanero but much milder.
Bhut Jolokia (Ghost pepper)	Bhut Jolokia	Northeast India	Up to 1,040,000 SHU	6 cm	This pepper was once the hottest in the world, according to Guinness World Records. It's a mix of C. chinense and some C. frutescens genes. Also known as naga jolokia and ghost pepper.
Carolina Reaper peppers	Carolina Reaper	United States	1,569,300–2,200,000 SHU		An extremely hot pepper. It became the Guinness World Record holder for hottest chili on August 7, 2013. It was developed from the Bhut Jolokia.
Datil pepper	Datil		100,000–300,000 SHU		A very hot chili, mostly grown in Florida.
Fatalii pepper	Fatalii		125,000–325,000 SHU	6 cm	Grown in central and southern Africa. It looks very similar to the devil's tongue habanero.
Habanero pepper	Habanero		100,000–350,000 SHU	5 cm	Once thought to be the hottest chili, but now other varieties are hotter. Still, it's much hotter than most common peppers. It has a fruity flavor and a floral smell. Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought it to China over 500 years ago.
Hainan Yellow Lantern Chili	Hainan Yellow Lantern		300,000 SHU	5 x 3 cm	Also known as the yellow emperor chili. It grows only in Hainan, China.
	Infinity chili		1,176,182 SHU
Madame Jeanette chili	Madame Jeanette		100,000–350,000 SHU		First grown in Suriname.
Naga Morich chili	Naga Morich	Bangladesh and India	1,000,000 SHU
Naga Viper pepper	Naga Viper	England	1,382,118 SHU
NuMex Suave Orange peppers	NuMex peppers	United States			The Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University has created many unique chili types. NuMex Suave Orange peppers are shown here.
	Red Savina	United States	200,000–580,000 SHU
Scotch Bonnet pepper	Scotch Bonnet		150,000–325,000 SHU	5 cm	Named because it looks like a Tam o' Shanter hat. It's related to the habanero and is similarly hot. Used often in Caribbean cooking.
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion	Trinidad moruga scorpion		Up to 2,000,000 SHU		Was the world-record holder for hottest chili in 2012.
Trinidad Scorpion 'Butch T'	Trinidad Scorpion 'Butch T'		Up to 1,400,000 SHU		Was a former world-record hottest chili.

Capsicum frutescens: Indian and Tabasco Peppers

Sometimes, this species is considered the same as C. annuum.

Capsicum frutescens

Image	Name	Origin	Heat	Pod size	Description
African Birdseye peppers	African Birdseye	Mozambique	50,000–175,000 SHU	1 inch	Also known as piri piri. It's common in Portuguese, Mozambican, and Angolan foods.
Kambuzi Chili Pepper	Kambuzi	Malawi			Kambuzi is a small, round chili pepper found in Malawi, Africa.
Siling Labuyo	Siling Labuyo	Philippines	80,000–100,000 SHU	1 inch	A small, cone-shaped pepper grown in the Philippines.
Tabasco peppers	Tabasco	Mexico	30,000–50,000 SHU	4 cm	Used to make Tabasco sauce. The fruit is only used when it reaches a specific red color.
	Xiao mi la pepper	China	75,000 SHU		The name xiao mi la means "little rice chili" in English. It's one of the three most common peppers in Chinese cooking.

Capsicum pubescens: Old and Unique Peppers

Capsicum pubescens is one of the oldest types of domesticated peppers. People were growing it as far back as 5,000 years ago! It's likely related to wild plants that still grow in South America.

Capsicum pubescens

Image	Name	Origin	Heat	Pod size	Description
	Canário	Peru	30,000–50,000 SHU	6.5 cm	Canário is a medium-hot C. pubescens type. Its thick-walled peppers are dark yellow when ripe and are about the size of a small apple. This South American type grows well in cool conditions and can be grown for many years.
Rocoto pepper	Rocoto	Peru, Bolivia	30,000–100,000 SHU		Also known as a Manzano or Locoto pepper. "Manzano" means "apple" in Spanish, which describes the fruit's shape. Notice its unique black seeds!