- Heirloom
- Mild
- 85 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- 1,000–2,500 SHU
- Green
Pasilla Bajio
Pasilla · Chilaca · Pasilla Bajío
Heirloom mild pepper from Mexico. Thin-walled pods used mainly dried; the shops describe the dried pepper as smoky. Ready in about 85 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 27, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Mild 1,000–2,500 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated ~1 oz (20–40 g) (estimated)
Long narrow cylindrical pod 200 to 250 mm long and slim, many times longer than wide, thin-walled with wrinkled skin, ripening from dark green to dark brown.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 85 days (estimated) from transplant · Mid-late
- Plant height
- 1–2½ ft (30–76 cm) (estimated) Compact
- 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
-
- Green
- Brown
Heat
Scoville heat units
Mild
Pasilla Bajio Scoville heat units: 1,000–2,500 SHU
Warm rather than hot, around a Cubanelle, a Pepperoncini or a Shishito. Most people eat these without reaching for water.
Flavor
“Thin-walled pods used mainly dried; the shops describe the dried pepper as smoky.”
Growing calendar
85 (estimated) 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
- Roasting
- Sauce workhorse
Origin
Pasilla Bajio is sold under two names for two stages of the same pod: fresh it is chilaca, a long, narrow dark green chile, and dried it is pasilla, little raisin in Spanish, after the wrinkled dark brown skin. Dried pasilla is one of the chiles behind mole. True Leaf Market lists it as an open-pollinated heirloom Capsicum annuum at 1,000 to 2,500 Scoville heat units, 80 to 89 days from transplant; Sandia Seed gives 85 days from transplant and pods 8 to 10 inches long. Tomato Growers Supply puts the heat below 250 units, well under the other two shops, and the shops also disagree on plant height, from 12 to 18 inches at True Leaf Market to 30 inches at Sandia Seed.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked daily- Botanical InterestsSeeds
Packet size not listed
Check availability
$2.69Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Tomato Growers Supply CompanySeeds
Pack (30 seeds)
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$3.25Checked Oct 16, 2026 - True Leaf MarketSeeds
250 Mg Packet
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$3.29Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Pepper Joe'sSeeds
10+ Seeds
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$3.75Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Sandia Seed CompanySeeds
10 seeds
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$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 Pasilla Bajio (pasilla) plant?
A Pasilla Bajio plant grows 1–2½ ft (30–76 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 Pasilla Bajio take to mature?
Pasilla Bajio is ready in about 85 days from transplant.
How hot is Pasilla Bajio?
Pasilla Bajio sits in the mild range, about 1,000–2,500 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Pasilla Bajio be grown in a container?
Yes — Pasilla Bajio grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Pasilla Bajio resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Pasilla Bajio.
