Poblano vs jalapeño: which pepper to grow
Oct 14, 2026 · 3 min read
A poblano is a big, mild, heart-shaped pepper; a jalapeño is a small, thick-walled one with more bite. Heat, pods and growing compared from two named varieties.
Poblano and jalapeño are both Capsicum annuum and both start out dark green. The poblano is the bigger and milder of the two. When it is dried it is sold as ancho, so the two names belong to one pepper. Seed is sold by variety, so this page compares two named ones: Ancho San Luis, a poblano, and Early Jalapeno.
How hot each one is
| Scoville range | heat class | |
|---|---|---|
| Ancho San Luis (poblano) | 1,500–4,500 SHU | mild |
| Early Jalapeno | 2,500–5,000 SHU | mild |
UF/IFAS gives the types as poblano 1,000 to 2,000 and jalapeño 2,000 to 8,000, so a jalapeño is usually the hotter pepper. Ancho San Luis is sold as a hotter-than-usual poblano. Tomato Growers Supply lists it at 1,500 to 4,500, which overlaps the jalapeño range. Both varieties sit in this catalog’s mild band.
Telling them apart by sight
| Ancho San Luis | Early Jalapeno | |
|---|---|---|
| pod | flattened, heart-shaped, 100 to 130 mm long, about half as wide as long | blunt cone about 76 mm long and 38 mm across |
| walls | glossy, used fresh and for drying | thick |
| ripe colour | dark green to red, then reddish brown to mahogany | green to red |
If the pod is broad and shaped like a heart, it is a poblano.
Growing either one
| Ancho San Luis | Early Jalapeno | |
|---|---|---|
| days to harvest | 75–80 | 67 (from transplant) |
| plant height | about 76 cm | 46–61 cm |
| spacing in the row | 46 cm | 46 cm |
The poblano figures come from two sources: the Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions compendium gives 75 to 78 days, Tomato Growers Supply 76 to 80. Early Jalapeno is the short-season choice. Tomato Growers Supply lists it at 67 days, and Botanical Interests notes that it handles cooler climates better than other jalapeños. Sow both indoors before your last frost: look yours up by ZIP code.
The short version
Grow the poblano for large, mild pods, used fresh or dried as ancho. Grow the jalapeño for smaller, hotter pods on a shorter plant, and pick Early Jalapeno if your summers run short.