- Open-pollinated
- Hot
- 99 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- 12,000–50,000 SHU
- Orange
Manzano
Rocoto · Locoto · Manzano Orange
Open-pollinated hot pepper from Peru. Thick, juicy walls and a heat that arrives quickly; the compendium describes the flesh as juicy. Ready in about 99 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 27, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Hot 12,000–50,000 SHU
- Pod
- Globe 1–2 oz (40–70 g) (estimated)
Apple-shaped pod about 50 mm across and nearly as broad as long, with thick juicy walls and black seeds.
- Species
- Capsicum pubescens
- Days to harvest
- 99 days (estimated) from transplant · Late
- Plant height
- 5 ft (152 cm) (estimated) Tall
- Spacing
- 24 × 36 in (61 × 91 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Balcony friendly min. 7 gal (30 L) pot (estimated)
- Difficulty
- Challenging (estimated) 4/5
- Skin
-
- Orange
- Green
Heat
Scoville heat units
Hot
Manzano Scoville heat units: 12,000–50,000 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
“Thick, juicy walls and a heat that arrives quickly; the compendium describes the flesh as juicy.”
Growing calendar
99 (estimated) days from transplant Late
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 8–10 (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
- Stuffing
- Sauce & paste
- Fresh & salads
- Rare collector
- Cold climate
Origin
Manzano is the Mexican name for the pepper Peru and Bolivia call rocoto, and it is the only Capsicum pubescens in this catalog. Two things set the species apart on sight: the pods carry black seeds rather than the straw-coloured seeds of every other pepper here, and the plant keeps growing woody and tree-like where winters are mild, which is why the name means little apple. It also behaves differently in the garden. Pepper Joe's, the shop this record links to, describes it as adapting well to 45 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, a range that would stall most peppers. The Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions compendium records the same pepper as bush-like, with square fruit about 51 mm across ripening from green, and notes the black seeds as a marker of the type. Pepper Joe's sells an orange and a yellow selection; this record follows the orange one. The shop says the plant can grow ten to fifteen feet if it is protected from frost, but gives no height for a plant grown as an annual and no width, so both height and spacing here are estimates.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyAll photos
Questions
How do you grow a Manzano plant?
A Manzano plant grows 5 ft (152 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 24 in (61 cm) apart in rows 36 in (91 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 8–10 weeks before your last frost (estimated). It needs full sun.
How long does Manzano take to mature?
Manzano is ready in about 99 days from transplant.
How hot is Manzano?
Manzano sits in the hot range, about 12,000–50,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Manzano be grown in a container?
Yes — Manzano grows well in a container of at least 30 L (7 gal).
Is Manzano resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Manzano.
