- Heirloom
- Hot
- 75 days to maturity (from transplant)
- 30,000–50,000 SHU
- Red
Cayenne Long Slim
Long Red Slim Cayenne · Slim Cayenne · Long Narrow Cayenne · Long Red Narrow
Heirloom hot pepper from French Guiana, 1883. Clean, sharp heat with little sweetness — the flavour most people read as "cayenne" because it is. Ready in about 75 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Hot 30,000–50,000 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated 0–1 oz (8–15 g) (estimated)
Long slender wrinkled pods 127 to 152 mm by 19 mm, hanging downward, dark green ripening to bright red, thin-walled.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 75 days from transplant · Midseason
- Plant height
- 2–3 ft (61–91 cm) (estimated) Medium height
- Spacing
- 18 × 24 in (46 × 61 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
- Easy-moderate (estimated) 2/5
- Skin
-
- Red
- Green
Heat
Scoville heat units
Hot
Cayenne Long Slim Scoville heat units: 30,000–50,000 SHU
Properly hot, the Tabasco, Cayenne Purple and Aji Amarillo band, with Chiltepin at the top of it. Used in small amounts, seeds removed if you want less.
Flavor
“Clean, sharp heat with little sweetness — the flavour most people read as "cayenne" because it is.”
Growing calendar
75 days from transplant Midseason
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 7–9 (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
- Drying
- Sauce & paste
- Canning
- Heirloom classic
- High yield
- Market favorite
- Container star
Origin
Cayenne Long Slim is the cayenne most dried pepper and ground cayenne comes from. The Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions compendium records it as open-pollinated, very hot, with long slender wrinkled fruit of 127 to 152 by 19 mm, thin walls and two cells, ripening dark green to bright red. True Leaf Market calls it pre-Columbian in origin, named after the Cayenne river in French Guiana, and first offered in the seed trade by Joseph Breck and Son in 1883 — the year recorded here is that first offering, not a breeding date. Both sources put it at 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units, several times a jalapeno and the reference point most cooks use for "hot".
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 Cayenne Long Slim plant?
A Cayenne Long Slim plant grows 2–3 ft (61–91 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart in rows 24 in (61 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 7–9 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–10 days. It needs full sun.
How long does Cayenne Long Slim take to mature?
Cayenne Long Slim is ready in about 75 days from transplant.
How hot is Cayenne Long Slim?
Cayenne Long Slim sits in the hot range, about 30,000–50,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Cayenne Long Slim be grown in a container?
Yes — Cayenne Long Slim grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Cayenne Long Slim resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Cayenne Long Slim.
