- Heirloom
- Mild
- 75 days to maturity (from transplant)
- 500–2,500 SHU
- Green
Padron
Pimiento de Padron · Padrón
Heirloom mild pepper from Spain. Mild fried in oil, with the occasional pod in a batch coming through sharply hot. Ready in about 75 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Mild 500–2,500 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated 0–1 oz (8–15 g) (estimated)
Small wrinkled pods picked at 40 to 50 mm, while still green, thin-walled.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 75 days from transplant · Midseason
- Plant height
- 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) Compact
- Spacing
- 15 × 18 in (38 × 46 cm) (estimated)
- 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
-
- Green
- Red
Heat
Scoville heat units
Mild
Padron Scoville heat units: 500–2,500 SHU
Warm rather than hot, around a Cubanelle, a Pepperoncini or a Shishito. Most people eat these without reaching for water.
Flavor
“Mild fried in oil, with the occasional pod in a batch coming through sharply hot.”
Growing calendar
75 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
- Roasting
- Snacking
- Fresh & salads
- Heirloom classic
- Container star
- High flavor
- Market favorite
Origin
Padron comes from the town of the same name in Galicia, north-western Spain, where the pods are picked young, fried whole in olive oil and salted. The variety is known for a trait the Galician saying makes a game of: most pods are mild, but an unpredictable few are sharply hot, and there is no way to tell before biting. True Leaf Market lists it at 500 to 2,500 Scoville heat units over about 70 to 79 days from transplant. Left on the plant the pods ripen red and turn reliably hotter, which is why they are harvested small and green.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked daily- True Leaf MarketSeeds
300 Mg Packet
Check availability
$2.99Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Botanical InterestsSeeds
Packet size not listed
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$3.49Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Tomato Growers Supply CompanySeeds
Pack (30 seeds)
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$3.55Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Eden BrothersSeeds
Packet
Check availability
$6.99Checked 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 Padron plant?
A Padron plant grows 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) tall. Space plants 15 in (38 cm) apart in rows 18 in (46 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 7–9 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–10 days. It needs full sun.
How long does Padron take to mature?
Padron is ready in about 75 days from transplant.
How hot is Padron?
Padron sits in the mild range, about 500–2,500 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Padron be grown in a container?
Yes — Padron grows well in a container of at least 15 L (3 gal).
Is Padron resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Padron.
