Capsicum chinense 'Scotch Bonnet' (Chilli)

Common name: Scotch Bonnet Chilli

Description: Capsicum chinense 'Scotch Bonnet' is one of the most iconic and intensely flavoured hot chillies in the world, originating from the Caribbean and closely associated with Jamaican and West Indian cuisine. It produces distinctive small, bonnet-shaped fruits that ripen from green through yellow to fiery orange-red, with a unique fruity, almost apricot-like flavour beneath the intense heat. Scoville ratings typically range from 100,000 to 350,000 SHU, making it genuinely very hot. Plants are bushy and productive in a warm, sheltered position or under glass.

Other benefits: exceptional fruity flavour alongside intense heat; prolific cropping in warm conditions; excellent for making hot sauces and Caribbean cooking

Wildlife attraction: bees and other pollinating insects

Height & spread (approx.) at maturity: 60–90cm x 60cm

Position: full sun; best under glass or in a warm, sheltered outdoor position

Soil pH: slightly acid to neutral (pH 6.0–7.0); fertile, well-drained soil or compost

Moisture: regular watering required; avoid waterlogging; liquid feed with high-potash fertiliser once flowering begins

Winter hardiness: frost tender; grow as an annual from spring