Hot & Sweet
Pepper Seeds
248 varieties across 4 Capsicum species — from 3,500 SHU Jalapeno to 2,000,000+ SHU Carolina Reaper. Sweet bells, rare heirlooms, South American Aji types. All seed, all organic, all from source.
The World's Most Diverse Vegetable — In Seed Form
The genus Capsicum contains five domesticated species and hundreds of wild relatives, originating in the Americas and spread globally by Portuguese and Spanish traders after 1492. Today, pepper cultivation spans every continent except Antarctica — from Hungarian paprika fields to Thai garden plots, from Peruvian highland aji farms to Indian guntur chilli districts. No single vegetable genus comes close in the range of heat, flavour, form, and colour.
What makes pepper collection particularly compelling is that heat, flavour, colour, and morphology vary independently. A Carolina Reaper and a Jalapeno both belong to Capsicum chinense and C. annuum respectively, yet differ by a factor of 500 in capsaicin content. A Bolivian Rainbow and a Black Pearl produce virtually identical heat at around 10,000–30,000 SHU, yet look nothing alike at any stage of ripening.
Growing peppers from seed opens the full range of what the genus contains — forms that never appear in supermarkets or nurseries, varieties that exist only in specialist collections, and heirlooms that connect modern gardens to centuries of agricultural history. All 248 varieties in this catalogue are available as seed, priced from €3.75, and dispatched worldwide.
All pepper seeds are packed fresh and sealed in moisture-proof foil packets. Superhot varieties (Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion, Bhut Jolokia) are tested for viability before listing — germination rates for current stock range from 78–91% at 28–30°C. Dispatch within 2–3 business days. About our sourcing →
Four Domesticated Capsicum Species
Each species has a distinct flavour profile, heat ceiling, and growing character — knowing them is the starting point for any collection.
Home to the world's hottest peppers. Intensely fruity — often described as tropical, floral, or citrus-forward — with heat that builds slowly and lingers for 20–45 minutes. Slow to germinate (21–35 days at 30°C) and slow to mature (120–150 days from transplant). Varieties include Habanero, Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion Moruga, Bhut Jolokia, Borg 9, and 7-Pot types.
The most widely grown species, spanning zero-heat bell peppers to the sharp punch of Cayenne at 30,000–50,000 SHU. Germinates readily at 25–28°C in 7–14 days. Fastest to fruit (70–90 days). Includes Jalapeno, Cayenne, Poblano, Ancho, Thai, Serrano, Ornamental types, and all sweet bell peppers. By far the most variety-rich group in this catalogue.
The South American aji peppers: distinctive citrus, berry, and floral notes that set them apart from the purely capsaicin-forward heat of chinense varieties. Charapita, Aji Amarillo, Aji Lemon, Bishop's Crown, Brazilian Starfish, and Aji Pineapple all belong here. Prized in Peruvian and Bolivian cuisine; increasingly sought by flavour-focused collectors. Medium heat, complex taste.
A compact, perennial-tendency species producing small, upright fruits in large quantities. Best known for Tabasco (the sauce cultivar), Bird's Eye peppers used across Southeast Asian cooking, and African Piri Piri. Plants survive mild winters and can be maintained as shrubs for 3–5 years. Thin-walled fruits with a sharp, clean heat and little of the fruity complexity of chinense types.
The cold-climate outlier of the genus — the only domesticated Capsicum with black seeds and purple flowers. Native to Andean altitudes of 1,500–3,000 m, Rocoto peppers tolerate night temperatures as low as 5–8°C. Apple-shaped fruits with thick, juicy walls. Extremely slow to mature (150–180 days); not viable without a long warm season or heated greenhouse.
All within C. annuum, sweet peppers cover an enormous morphological range: blocky bells (California Miracle, Hercules), long pointed Kapia and Ramiro types, round Gogoshar and Kolobok, thin-walled Frying types, and miniature Candy forms. 45 sweet varieties in this catalogue, starting from €3.75 per pack of 10 seeds.
Scoville Scale — Key Varieties
20 representative varieties from this catalogue, ordered by heat. Use as a selection guide — not all are in stock at all times.
| Variety | Species | SHU Range | Heat Level | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Bell Mix California Miracle, Hercules, Ramiro etc. | C. annuum | 0–500 | Thick walls, fruity sweetness | |
| Boneta / Aji Dulce PE51 / PE30 | C. annuum / chinense | 500–1,000 | Habanero aroma, no burn | |
| Pepperoncini Italy PE106 | C. annuum | 100–500 | Italian pickling classic | |
| Hungarian Yellow PE6 | C. annuum | 5,000–10,000 | Wax pepper, paprika note | |
| Jalapeno Organic PE4 — 10/50/100 pcs | C. annuum | 2,500–8,000 | Grassy, clean, versatile | |
| Cayenne / Thai Chili PE5 / PE57 | C. annuum | 30,000–100,000 | Sharp, clean heat | |
| Aji Charapita PE47 | C. chinense | 30,000–50,000 | World's most expensive chili by weight | |
| Piri Piri / Tabasco PE148 / PE49 | C. frutescens | 50,000–175,000 | Thin-walled, high yield | |
| Habanero Chocolate PE17 | C. chinense | 100,000–350,000 | Earthy-fruity, delayed burn | |
| Habanero Red Savina PE81 | C. chinense | 350,000–577,000 | World record holder 1994–2006 | |
| Bhut Jolokia / Ghost Pepper PE8 — multiple colours | C. chinense | 800,000–1,100,000 | First pepper to break 1M SHU | |
| Trinidad Scorpion Moruga PE7 / PE9 — red & yellow | C. chinense | 1,200,000–2,000,000 | World record 2012 — 2,009,231 SHU | |
| Carolina Reaper PE142 / PE206 / PE207 / PE233 | C. chinense | 1,400,000–2,200,000 | Current world record holder |
From Seed to Harvest
Four fundamentals that apply across all Capsicum species grown from seed.
Start 10–12 Weeks Before Last Frost
Peppers need the longest indoor start of any common vegetable. Sweet and mild varieties (Bell, Jalapeno, Cayenne) need 10 weeks from seed to transplant-ready size. Superhots — Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion, Bhut Jolokia — need 12 weeks minimum. Germinate at 28–32°C; once seedlings appear, grow on at 22–26°C with 14–16 hours of light per day. Below 18°C, growth stalls and flowering is delayed.
Superhots Germinate Slowly — Patience Required
While Jalapeno and Cayenne sprout in 7–14 days at 28°C, Carolina Reaper and Trinidad Scorpion regularly take 21–35 days. Do not discard pots before 6 weeks. Keep substrate consistently moist (not wet) at 30°C using a heat mat, and use a humidity dome for the first 3 weeks. Germination rates for fresh superhot seed run 70–90%; older or improperly stored seed may drop to 40–60%.
Container Culture — All Peppers Work
Every variety in this catalogue can be grown permanently in containers. Sweet bells and Jalapenos perform well in 5–8 litre pots; larger plants (Habanero, Trinidad Scorpion) benefit from 10–15 litre containers. Peppers are perennials in frost-free conditions — overwintered indoor plants resume fruiting 6–8 weeks earlier than fresh seedlings the following spring. Cut back by 30% in autumn, reduce watering, and keep above 10°C.
Heat Accelerates Ripening — Cold Stops It
Peppers ripen fastest above 26°C daytime temperature. In a UK or northern European summer, sweet varieties ripen reliably outdoors; superhots and long-season chinense varieties need a polytunnel or greenhouse to reach full ripeness before autumn. Unripe green peppers of most varieties are edible (and often preferred for Jalapeno), but flavour and heat reach full expression only in the fully coloured ripe fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Browse 248 Pepper Varieties
Sweet bells from €3.75 · Superhots from €4.25 · Sealed packets · Worldwide shipping
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