- Open-pollinated
- Very hot
- 110 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- 100,000–445,000 SHU
- Red
Caribbean Red
Caribbean Red Habanero · Habanero Caribbean Red
Open-pollinated very hot pepper from Trinidad and Tobago, 1999. Fruity in the way a habanero is, at close to double the heat. Ready in about 110 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Oct 2, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Very hot 100,000–445,000 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated 0–1 oz (8–15 g) (estimated)
Red wrinkled pods about 38 by 25 mm, tapering to a blunt point.
- Species
- Capsicum chinense
- Days to harvest
- 110 days (estimated) from transplant · Late
- Plant height
- 2–2½ ft (61–76 cm) Medium height
- Spacing
- 18 × 30 in (46 × 76 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Balcony friendly min. 5 gal (20 L) pot (estimated)
- Difficulty
- Challenging (estimated) 4/5
- Skin
-
- Red
- Green
Heat
Scoville heat units
Very hot
Caribbean Red Scoville heat units: 100,000–445,000 SHU
Habanero territory and above: Orange Habanero, Caribbean Red, and Bhut Jolokia an order of magnitude past them. Handle with gloves, taste before committing a whole pod to a dish.
Flavor
“Fruity in the way a habanero is, at close to double the heat.”
Growing calendar
110 (estimated) days from transplant Late
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Sauce & paste
- Drying
- High flavor
- High yield
- Hot climate
Origin
Caribbean Red is the habanero bred to be hotter than a habanero. The Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions compendium records it from Burpee in 1999 as a Capsicum chinense habanero type with red wrinkled fruit about 38 by 25 mm, plants around 710 mm, and nearly double the heat of other habanero cultivars. Two numbers in circulation do not agree: True Leaf Market lists 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville heat units, while Tomato Growers Supply reports dried samples measured at 445,000 against about 260,000 for a regular habanero. The range here runs to the higher figure because it is a stated measurement rather than a category. Day counts disagree too, at 90 days in the compendium against 110 to 119 from transplant at True Leaf Market.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyLinks may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Oct 16, 2026.
All photos
Questions
How do you grow a Caribbean Red plant?
A Caribbean Red plant grows 2–2½ ft (61–76 cm) tall. Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart in rows 30 in (76 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–10 days. It needs full sun.
How long does Caribbean Red take to mature?
Caribbean Red is ready in about 110 days from transplant.
How hot is Caribbean Red?
Caribbean Red sits in the very hot range, about 100,000–445,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Caribbean Red be grown in a container?
Yes — Caribbean Red grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Caribbean Red resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Caribbean Red.
