Carolina Reaper Hot Pepper Plant

Light Needs

Full Sun

(At Least 6 Hours Of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

1-2 Feet

Mature Spread

1 Foot

So you think you want to try the World’s Hottest Pepper? Well, Carolina Reaper would be the one to try. Officially rated with the most Scoville units in 2013 and again in 2018, Carolina Reaper is a cross between Ghost Pepper and Red Habanero. Some of the fruits have been rated at 2.2 million Scoville units! Although this pepper is amazingly hot, it has a delightfully sweet and fruity flavor just before the heat kicks in. Each plant is a heavy producer of small red, lantern-shaped fruit that may or may not have a scorpion-like tail. Carolina Reaper can be used fresh, cooked, or dried for the most mind-blowing pepper flakes. 

Carolina Reaper Hot Pepper Care  

Pepper plants like lots of sun, lots of heat, and well-draining soil. They are perennial in zones 9-12 but are grown as an annual in the rest of the USDA zones. Place the plant starts out in the garden when nighttime temperatures are above 50 degrees F in late spring. Carolina Reaper can also be greenhouse grown in the coldest areas. Add a slow-release granular fertilizer for vegetables, or mix in organic compost to the soil before planting. Space plants at 12 inches on center, and give each plant a 2-foot piece of bamboo cane for support when the fruit is ripening. No pinching of the main stem is required. 

Growing Carolina Reaper Hot Pepper 

Carolina Reaper will produce fruit 90 days after transplanting and will continue until the first frost. Regular picking of ripe fruit helps the immature fruits ripen. Hot Peppers will tolerate cooler nighttime temperatures than other peppers but will not form fruit or ripen if the daily temperature is above 90 F for many days. Carolina Reaper plants that are grown as perennials can live to be 10 years or older. In cold USDA zones, the plants can be brought in as houseplants over the winter and treated like a tender perennial. Indoors, Carolina Reaper will require full sun exposure from a south-facing window. 

Hot Pepper plants are compact growers that seldom reach more than 2-3 feet in height and spread. They are perfect for growing in containers in the greenhouse, on a patio, or on a deck. Choose a pot with at least a 10-inch diameter. Use a potting mix that is free draining and contains compost. Fertilize with liquid seaweed or fish emulsion every 2 weeks until peppers begin to form. Watering may need to be done on a daily basis. Do not let more than the top 1-2 inches of soil dry out between waterings. 

Watering Carolina Reaper Hot Pepper

Hot Peppers prefer consistently moist soil. Let the top 1-2 inches of soil dry between waterings to ensure that the roots do not become waterlogged. Depending on humidity and temperature, watering with at least one inch of water, once a week is ideal.

Feeding Carolina Reaper Hot Pepper 

Add a granular fertilizer for tomatoes or roses at planting time. This will release nutrients for 3-4 months. Water with diluted liquid seaweed or fish emulsion once a month when plants start to bloom. Stop fertilizing when the fruits form.

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