- Heirloom
- Medium
- 92 days to maturity (from transplant)
- 15,000–30,000 SHU
- Red
Chile de Arbol
De Arbol · Chile de Árbol
Heirloom medium pepper from Mexico. Thin, dry flesh that is mostly dried whole or ground; True Leaf Market describes the flavor as smoky. Ready in about 92 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 27, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Medium 15,000–30,000 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated <1 oz (2–5 g) (estimated)
Slender pointed pod 50 to 75 mm long and only about 10 mm wide, thin-walled and hanging, ripening from green to dark red.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 92 days from transplant · Mid-late
- Plant height
- 2–4 ft (61–122 cm) (estimated) Tall
- Spacing
- 18 × 30 in (46 × 76 cm)
- 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
Medium
Chile de Arbol Scoville heat units: 15,000–30,000 SHU
Noticeable heat. Mucho Nacho, the jumbo jalapeño, sits at the bottom of this band and Hungarian Yellow Wax near the middle. Hot enough to lead a salsa, mild enough to eat whole.
Flavor
“Thin, dry flesh that is mostly dried whole or ground; True Leaf Market describes the flavor as smoky.”
Growing calendar
92 days from transplant Mid-late
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
- Sauce workhorse
- High yield
Origin
Chile de arbol is the long, thin red chile sold dried in Mexican markets and ground into red chile sauces; the name means tree chile, after a plant that grows tall and bushy for a pepper. True Leaf Market lists it as an open-pollinated heirloom Capsicum annuum at 15,000 to 30,000 Scoville heat units, 92 days from transplant, and compares the pods to cayenne. Tomato Growers Supply gives the pod as 2 to 3 inches long and 3/8 inch wide, thin-fleshed and ripening to dark red. The shops disagree on plant height: True Leaf Market's growing notes say 24 to 36 inches, its description 3 to 4 feet, and Sandia Seed over 4 feet, so the height here is a wide range rather than one figure.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked daily- True Leaf MarketSeeds
250 Mg Packet
Check availability
$2.99Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Tomato Growers Supply CompanySeeds
Pack (30 seeds)
Check availability
$3.55Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Pepper Joe'sSeeds
10+ Seeds
Check availability
$3.75Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Eden BrothersSeeds
Packet
Check availability
$3.84Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Sandia Seed CompanySeeds
10 seeds
Check availability
$3.99Checked 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 Chile de Arbol plant?
A Chile de Arbol plant grows 2–4 ft (61–122 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart in rows 30 in (76 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 Chile de Arbol take to mature?
Chile de Arbol is ready in about 92 days from transplant.
How hot is Chile de Arbol?
Chile de Arbol sits in the medium range, about 15,000–30,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Chile de Arbol be grown in a container?
Yes — Chile de Arbol grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Chile de Arbol resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Chile de Arbol.
