- Heirloom
- Very hot
- 105 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- 100,000–350,000 SHU
- Orange
Orange Habanero
Habanero Orange
Heirloom very hot pepper from Peru. Citrus and apricot over heat that builds slowly and does not let go. Ready in about 105 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Oct 2, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Very hot 100,000–350,000 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated 0–1 oz (8–15 g) (estimated)
Thin-walled lantern pods with a wrinkled waxy skin, green to bright orange.
- Species
- Capsicum chinense
- Days to harvest
- 105 days (estimated) from transplant · Late
- Plant height
- 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) Compact
- Spacing
- 18 × 30 in (46 × 76 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
- Challenging (estimated) 4/5
- Skin
-
- Orange
- Green
Heat
Scoville heat units
Very hot
Orange Habanero Scoville heat units: 100,000–350,000 SHU
Habanero territory and above: Orange Habanero, Caribbean Red, and Bhut Jolokia an order of magnitude past them. Handle with gloves, taste before committing a whole pod to a dish.
Flavor
“Citrus and apricot over heat that builds slowly and does not let go.”
Growing calendar
105 (estimated) days from transplant Late
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 (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
- Sauce & paste
- Drying
- Canning
- Heirloom classic
- High flavor
- Hot climate
Origin
The orange habanero is the pepper most people mean by habanero: a small wrinkled lantern of Capsicum chinense that ripens green to bright orange. True Leaf Market traces it to the Amazon region of South America and lists it at 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville heat units, roughly forty times a jalapeno, with 100 to 109 days to maturity from transplant. The heat arrives late and stays, and the flesh carries a citrus and apricot note that survives cooking, which is why it anchors so many commercial hot sauces.
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 Orange Habanero plant?
A Orange Habanero plant grows 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) tall. Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart in rows 30 in (76 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–21 days. It needs full sun.
How long does Orange Habanero take to mature?
Orange Habanero is ready in about 105 days from transplant.
How hot is Orange Habanero?
Orange Habanero sits in the very hot range, about 100,000–350,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Orange Habanero be grown in a container?
Yes — Orange Habanero grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Orange Habanero resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Orange Habanero.
