Types of Peppers – Mild Chile, Super-Hot, or Tabasco

Types of Peppers – Mild Chile, Super-Hot, or Tabasco guide illustration

Choose peppers by species and heat. A mild chile finishes faster than a super-hot. Tabasco is its own shrubby type, not black pepper.

Types of Peppers care summary diagram

Choose a mild chile, a super-hot, or a tabasco type

FactorRecommendedAvoid
Mild chileCapsicum annuum such as Anaheim for a shorter waitDo not treat a super-hot as a 70-day chile
Super-hotCapsicum chinense such as Carolina Reaper for a long, hot seasonDo not expect a full ripe crop in a short, cool summer
Tabasco typeCapsicum frutescens for upright hot sauce podsDo not buy a Piper vine because the tag says pepper

Know your USDA hardiness zone before you pick a type of capsicum that will take your winter. Type your ZIP below.

2023 USDA ZIP listings (PRISM / USDA-ARS). Find Your USDA Hardiness Zone · Official USDA map.

Garden peppers belong to a few domesticated species. Heat class and days to harvest follow the species more than the color on the packet. [1] [2] Sweet bells, jalapeños, and Anaheim chiles share C. annuum. Habaneros and Reapers sit with C. chinense. Tabasco sits with C. frutescens. [3] [4] Site and watering stay on How to Grow Peppers.

What is the difference between a mild chile and a super-hot?

A mild Capsicum annuum chile finishes sooner. A chinense super-hot needs more heat and more weeks after transplant.

Browse by kind

Mild chiles (Capsicum annuum)

Anaheim is a mild Capsicum annuum chile for roasting and stuffing. Bell and jalapeño are the same species, not a second method.

Super-hots (Capsicum chinense)

Carolina Reaper is Capsicum chinense. Super-hots need a longer, hotter season than a mild chile. Habanero and ghost peppers sit in this group.

Tabasco types (Capsicum frutescens)

Tabasco pepper is Capsicum frutescens: upright hot pods used for sauce. It is not the black-pepper vine.

A super-hot needs a longer, hotter season — and tabasco is not black pepper

If your summer is short and cool, start with an annuum chile rather than a Reaper-class plant. Tabasco is still Capsicum. Black pepper is Piper, a different plant with a different climate.

Is tabasco the same species as Anaheim?

No. Anaheim is Capsicum annuum. Tabasco is Capsicum frutescens. Both are garden peppers, not black pepper.

If the tag only says pepper, decide mild chile, super-hot, or tabasco before you buy.

FAQ

Do you list bell, jalapeño, habanero, or ghost peppers?

Use the groups above. Bell and jalapeño are Capsicum annuum like Anaheim. Habanero and ghost sit with chinense super-hots.

Are ornamental peppers edible?

Many ornamental peppers are Capsicum annuum grown for fruit color. They are often very hot. They are not the three garden plants in this browse.

References

  1. [1] Oregon State University Extension Service - https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ec-1227-grow-your-own-peppers
  2. [2] University of Maryland Extension - https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-peppers-home-garden
  3. [3] University of Georgia Extension - https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/publications/C1005/home-garden-peppers/
  4. [4] University of Minnesota Extension - https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-peppers

This note is part of Capsicum Guides.

More type comparisons by plant are gathered in Types of Plants Guides.

Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors

This guide is written for real gardens, not perfect climates. Results vary with site, season, and plant choice. We draw on multiple sources and practical experience; treat the steps here as honest guidance, not a promise that every bed will behave the same.