PlantFiles: Habanero Pepper
Capsicum chinense 'Caribbean Red'

These plants are great, they grow like a bush, about 4-5 feet high and can get loaded with 100s of "Strawberry sized" pods per plant.

The Caribbean Red has a very unique flavor, much more potent than a typical Orange Habanero with a very pungent fruity aroma that, in my opinion is "Strawberry like".

Pods turn from light green, to light orange to light red then to dark red. Pods may also be in many of these stages at the same time (sometimes with patches of chocolate brown color) or skip right to light red. All on the same plant.

Pods may be smooth or wrinkled "pumpkin like" in appearence, roundish at the top and quickly tapering off to a blunt point at the blossom end.

Pods take a very long time to ripen, they will get to full size rather quickly but sit around in the light green stage for anywhere from 2 to 3 weeks.

Very attractive plants, and they absolutly LOVE 1 Tbsp epsom salt + 1 gallon water sprayed on the top and bottom of the leaves every 2 weeks in the morning. Also sprinkle a few grains above the soil when plant is flowering/fruiting.

Great plant and easy to grow in Houston, Texas. But watch out when you eat one. I love hot peppers but these are HOT. WOW! Quite a bit hotter than the typical habanero.

I rate this as a positive experience pretty much due to how well it grew- not for flavor, persay. I have a pretty high tolerance and appreciation for hot peppers, but the Caribbean Red Habanero was a bit much for me, and I didn't even try a fully ripe fruit. I grew it on a lark, having gotten over a dozen sickly (aphid-infested) pepper seedlings for free from a local nursery that was going to throw them out. I didn't have room for them in the vegetable garden, especially that late in the season (it was late July), but I potted them up in one-gallon containers and put them on the porch in a spot that only got a few morning and evening hours of direct sun. The aphids didn't last long after a few treatments, and the peppers took off full blast, the Caribbean RH being the most vigorous. They grew extremely well and produced about a dozen peppers per plant before frost-kill in Sept, which was outstanding considering they were only grown in containers, without much direct sun.

The peppers themselves are pretty little things when red and ripe, but they definitely don't have to be ripe to scorch your mouth. I took a tiny nibble of one that was still just a tad green, mostly orange, and it was enough to send me to the herb garden in great haste to munch on succulent Cuban Oregano (I've found that it's a much more efficient salve than water for the purpose of neutralizing the burn). Ow. If, like me, you enjoy hot peppers of the many chile varieties and even as hot as the Thai, and common Habanero, you should still approach the Caribbean RH with caution.

Grew very well in full sun, yes VERY HOT!!

RECIEVED SEEDS FROM GURNEY'S AND NO PROBLEMS WITH GERMINATION OR GROWTH. USED MIRACLE GROW POTTING SOIL AND LARGE POTS TO GROW IN MY APT. THESE PEPPERS BLEW MY HEAD OFF, I LOVE HABANERO'S (DID I SPELL THAT RIGHT?) AND THESE MADE THEM LOOK MILD. A VERY GOOD PEPPER. REMINDS YOU THAT YOU ARE ALIVE

The Caribbean Red is rated at 350,000 Scoville Heat Units and the Habanero at 300,000 SHU. I have grown both along with many other hot peppers here in the hot Sacramento Valley for many years.I also grow the Red Savina, not to be confused with the Carribbean Red.The Red Savina is recognized in the Guiness Book of Records as the world's hottest pepper at 577,000 Scoville Heat Units.It was developed in the Los Angles area. Only the Naga Jolokia from the Tezpur area of India may be hotter at 850,00 SHU but this is subject to much discussion. Naga Jolokia in the Assam language is "Chili from Nagaland."

Billed as hotter than a hab, I can't wait to try this one in salsa next summer!