Habanero Pepper

Habanero-type peppers (Capsicum chinense) are native to parts of South America and are grown for their bright, very hot fruits. The fruits vary a lot in shape and color between varieties, and many have a lumpy, crinkled look. Plants reach about 1 to 2.5 feet (30 to 76 cm) tall and 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 cm) wide.

Sowing and planting out. Plant only when nighttime temperatures are at least 55 °F (13 °C). You can start seedlings indoors earlier and move them out once it is that warm. Choose a spot in full sun, meaning 6 or more hours of direct light a day, with rich, moist, well-drained soil. Habanero types are slow to produce: they ripen about 90 to 120 days after transplanting. Plants also suit container growing.

Habanero plants enjoy heat and tolerate drought, though a long dry spell can hurt fruit quality. Deer tend to leave them alone.

Peppers share many pests with other nightshade-family plants, so watch for aphids, whiteflies, cutworms, pepper maggots and Colorado potato beetles. The plants are also sensitive to Verticillium wilt and to mosaic virus, which shows as a uniform yellow-green mottling on the leaves followed by wilting.

The fruits contain high levels of capsaicin, which is what makes them so hot. Always wear rubber gloves when processing chiles or cleaning their seeds. No cat or dog toxicity information was available for this plant.