- Heirloom
- Hot
- 80 days to maturity (from transplant)
- 30,000–50,000 SHU
- Purple
Cayenne Purple
Purple Cayenne
Heirloom hot pepper from United States. Clean cayenne heat, thin-walled and quick to dry; the purple stage is cosmetic rather than a flavour difference. Ready in about 80 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)
Slim tapering pods around 100 mm, deep purple before they turn red, thin-walled.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 80 days from transplant · Midseason
- Plant height
- 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) Compact
- Spacing
- 15 × 18 in (38 × 46 cm)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Balcony friendly min. 3 gal (15 L) pot (estimated)
- Difficulty
- Easy-moderate (estimated) 2/5
- Skin
-
- Purple
- Red
Heat
Scoville heat units
Hot
Cayenne Purple 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 cayenne heat, thin-walled and quick to dry; the purple stage is cosmetic rather than a flavour difference.”
Growing calendar
80 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
- Novelty color
- Container star
- Gift worthy
- High flavor
Origin
Cayenne Purple is a cayenne that passes through a deep purple stage before ripening red, on a plant with purple-tinged foliage and flowers. The heat is standard cayenne — True Leaf Market and Sandia Seed both list 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units — so the difference from an ordinary cayenne is entirely visual. Pods can be used at either stage, and the purple ones dry to a dark brick colour rather than staying purple.
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 Purple (purple cayenne) plant?
A Cayenne Purple plant grows 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) tall. Space plants 15 in (38 cm) apart in rows 18 in (46 cm) apart. 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 Purple take to mature?
Cayenne Purple is ready in about 80 days from transplant.
How hot is Cayenne Purple?
Cayenne Purple 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 Purple be grown in a container?
Yes — Cayenne Purple grows well in a container of at least 15 L (3 gal).
Is Cayenne Purple resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Cayenne Purple.
