- Heirloom
- Mild
- 80 days to maturity (from transplant)
- 500–5,000 SHU (estimated)
- Yellow
Santa Fe Grande
Guero · Caribe
Heirloom mild pepper from United States. Waxy pods that sweeten as they colour, milder than a jalapeño. Ready in about 80 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Mild 500–5,000 SHU (estimated)
- Pod
- Elongated 1–2 oz (25–45 g) (estimated)
Conical waxy pods carrying yellow, orange and red on the plant at the same time, with medium-thick walls.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 80 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
-
- Yellow
- Orange
- Red
- Green
Heat
Scoville heat units
Mild
Santa Fe Grande Scoville heat units: 500–5,000 SHU (estimated)
Warm rather than hot, around a Cubanelle, a Pepperoncini or a Shishito. Most people eat these without reaching for water.
Flavor
“Waxy pods that sweeten as they colour, milder than a jalapeño.”
Growing calendar
80 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
- Canning
- Roasting
- Fresh & salads
- Stuffing
- Novelty color
- Market favorite
- Container star
- Beginner friendly
Origin
Santa Fe Grande is a conical wax pepper that runs through four colours on the plant: pale yellow first, then orange, then red, with green pods underneath. That display is half the reason it is grown, and the fruit is usable at every stage. Heat figures disagree across sellers more than usual for a common variety, from True Leaf Market's 500 to 700 Scoville heat units up to Tomato Growers Supply's 5,000 to 8,000; the range recorded here spans the two sources that publish their specs consistently. Expect a mild to moderate pepper rather than a predictable one.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked daily- True Leaf MarketSeeds
250 Mg Packet
Check availability
$1.99Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Eden BrothersSeeds
Packet
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$3.14Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Tomato Growers Supply CompanySeeds
Pack (30 seeds)
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$3.95Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Sandia Seed CompanySeeds
Packet size not listed
Check availability
$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 Santa Fe Grande plant?
A Santa Fe Grande 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 Santa Fe Grande take to mature?
Santa Fe Grande is ready in about 80 days from transplant.
How hot is Santa Fe Grande?
Santa Fe Grande sits in the mild range, about 500–5,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Santa Fe Grande be grown in a container?
Yes — Santa Fe Grande grows well in a container of at least 15 L (3 gal).
Is Santa Fe Grande resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Santa Fe Grande.
