- Open-pollinated
- Very hot
- 120 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- 1,500,000–2,200,000 SHU
- Red
Carolina Reaper
HP22B · Reaper
Open-pollinated very hot pepper from United States, 2013. A few seconds of sweet fruit, then heat that outlasts the meal. Ready in about 120 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Very hot 1,500,000–2,200,000 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated 0–1 oz (10–20 g) (estimated)
Bumpy red pods about 38 to 50 mm, wrinkled all over and ending in a narrow pointed tail.
- Species
- Capsicum chinense
- Days to harvest
- 120 days (estimated) from transplant · Late
- Plant height
- 2–3 ft (61–91 cm) (estimated) 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
- Difficult (estimated) 5/5
- Skin
-
- Red
- Green
Heat
Scoville heat units
Very hot
Carolina Reaper Scoville heat units: 1,500,000–2,200,000 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
“A few seconds of sweet fruit, then heat that outlasts the meal.”
Growing calendar
120 (estimated) days from transplant Late
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 10–12 (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
- Hot climate
- Gift worthy
Origin
Carolina Reaper is the pepper that made superhots a spectator sport. Pepper Joe's sells it under its breeding code HP22B and records that Guinness declared it the world's hottest pepper in 2013, a title it held until 2023; the year here is that declaration, not the year the cross was made. Published heat figures differ by source and by pod: Pepper Joe's gives an average of 1,569,300 Scoville heat units with individual peppers reaching 2,000,000 to 2,200,000, Sandia Seed quotes 2,200,000 and above, Tomato Growers Supply over 1,500,000, and Eden Brothers around 1.5 million over 90 to 150 days. The pod is unmistakable: bumpy, red, and finished with a narrow pointed tail.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked daily- Sandia Seed CompanySeeds
10 seeds
Check availability
$3.99Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Tomato Growers Supply CompanySeeds
Pack (10 seeds)
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$5.45Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Eden BrothersSeeds
Packet
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$5.99Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Pepper Joe'sSeeds
10+ Seeds
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$7.49Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Pepper Joe'sLive plant
1 Seedling
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$9.99Checked Oct 16, 2026
Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Oct 16, 2026.
All photos
Questions
How do you grow a Carolina Reaper plant?
A Carolina Reaper plant grows 2–3 ft (61–91 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart in rows 30 in (76 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 10–12 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 14–30 days. It needs full sun.
How long does Carolina Reaper take to mature?
Carolina Reaper is ready in about 120 days from transplant.
How hot is Carolina Reaper?
Carolina Reaper sits in the very hot range, about 1,500,000–2,200,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Carolina Reaper be grown in a container?
Yes — Carolina Reaper grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Carolina Reaper resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Carolina Reaper.
