Whats the hottest pepper that I can grow?
In the National Herb Garden chile pepper collection, we grow peppers from five species groups: Capsicum annuum, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum frutescens, and Capsicum pubescens. Of these types, the C. chinense cultivars, such as ‘Habanero’, are generally the hottest with Scotch Bonnet, Thai, and Cayenne cultivars falling in behind. Heat intensity of peppers is most commonly measured in Scoville Units, with Sweet Bell Peppers measuring in at zero Scoville Units. For comparison, Habanero peppers range from 100,000 – 300,000+ Scoville Units, while pure capsaicin–the chemical that causes the burning sensation–registers at a whopping 15,000,000 – 16,000,000 Scoville Units! If you are looking to grow really hot peppers, try to pick those cultivars which register higher on the Scoville scale. Just remember that capsaicin does not dissolve in water, so make sure to keep milk or yogurt nearby to help quench the burn!
