- Heirloom
- Mild
- 79 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- 1,000–1,500 SHU
- Brown
Mulato Isleño
Mulato Isleno · Mulato · Chocolate Poblano
Heirloom mild pepper from Mexico. Used green for rellenos or left to turn brown and dried; Sandia Seed calls it sweeter than a standard poblano. Ready in about 79 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 27, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Mild 1,000–1,500 SHU
- Pod
- Heart-shaped 3–5 oz (80–140 g) (estimated)
Broad heart-shaped pod about 150 mm long and 75 mm wide at the shoulder, tapering to a blunt end, ripening from glossy dark green to chocolate brown.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 79 days (estimated) from transplant · Midseason
- Plant height
- 1½–3 ft (46–91 cm) (estimated) Medium height
- Spacing
- 15 × 30 in (38 × 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
-
- Brown
- Green
Heat
Scoville heat units
Mild
Mulato Isleño Scoville heat units: 1,000–1,500 SHU
Warm rather than hot, around a Cubanelle, a Pepperoncini or a Shishito. Most people eat these without reaching for water.
Flavor
“Used green for rellenos or left to turn brown and dried; Sandia Seed calls it sweeter than a standard poblano.”
Growing calendar
79 (estimated) 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
- Stuffing
- Roasting
- Drying
- Sauce & paste
- Novelty color
Origin
Mulato Isleño is a poblano-type chile that ripens to deep chocolate brown instead of red; Sandia Seed sells it as chocolate poblano. Dried, the brown pods are sold as mulato, one of the chiles in mole. True Leaf Market lists it as an open-pollinated heirloom Capsicum annuum at 1,000 to 1,500 Scoville heat units, 70 to 79 days from transplant, with fat pods 6 by 3 inches used for stuffing. Tomato Growers Supply gives the same pod size, tapering to a blunt end, but 85 to 95 days without saying where it counts from, so the days here follow True Leaf Market, which does.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked daily- Pepper Joe'sSeeds
10+ Seeds
Check availability
$3.25Checked Oct 16, 2026 - True Leaf MarketSeeds
250 mg Packet
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$3.89Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Tomato Growers Supply CompanySeeds
Pack (30 seeds)
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$3.95Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Sandia Seed CompanySeeds
10 seeds
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$3.99Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Eden BrothersSeeds
Packet
Check availability
$5.99Checked 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 Mulato Isleño (mulato) plant?
A Mulato Isleño plant grows 1½–3 ft (46–91 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 15 in (38 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 Mulato Isleño take to mature?
Mulato Isleño is ready in about 79 days from transplant.
How hot is Mulato Isleño?
Mulato Isleño sits in the mild range, about 1,000–1,500 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Mulato Isleño be grown in a container?
Yes — Mulato Isleño grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Mulato Isleño resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Mulato Isleño.
