2 varieties

Capsicum Pubescens

The cold-tolerant species with distinctive black seeds and fuzzy leaves. Rocoto and manzano peppers belong here — thick-walled, juicy, and surprisingly hot.

2 varieties 2 comparisons 2 heat levels

About Capsicum Pubescens

The cold-tolerant species with distinctive black seeds and fuzzy leaves. Rocoto and manzano peppers belong here — thick-walled, juicy, and surprisingly hot. We track 2 varieties in this species. All chili peppers belong to five domesticated Capsicum species, each with unique characteristics in heat range, flavor, pod shape, and growing requirements.

The hottest Capsicum pubescens in our database is Rocoto at 30K–100K SHU, measured on the Scoville scale. Heat in peppers comes from capsaicin, a compound concentrated in the placental tissue inside the pod.

Growing Capsicum pubescens? Start with our seed-to-harvest guide and check the growing calendar for your zone. Understanding pepper anatomy helps identify species traits like seed color, flower count, and pod position.

All Capsicum Pubescens

2 varieties

Every variety in this collection, sorted by maximum Scoville heat rating. Click any card for the full profile with flavor notes, anatomy details, growing tips, and substitutes.

Origins Breakdown

Capsicum pubescens varieties are grown worldwide. Explore peppers from specific regions in our origin hub pages.

Peru 1 variety Mexico 1 variety

Heat Level Distribution

How capsicum pubescens distribute across the Scoville scale. Click any tier to browse all peppers at that heat level.

Extra-Hot 1 variety Hot 1 variety

Heat Range Comparison

Visual breakdown of where each variety falls on the Scoville scale. The bar width shows the documented SHU spread — wider bars mean more variable heat between individual pods. Learn why heat varies in our guide to pepper heat variation.

Rocoto 30K–100K
Manzano Pepper 12K–30K

Related Guides

All guides →

Deep-dive articles covering the cooking techniques, growing methods, and science behind capsicum pubescens.

Other Capsicum Species

All chili peppers belong to five domesticated Capsicum species. Each species has unique traits in heat capacity, pod shape, and growing requirements.

Capsicum annuum
Capsicum chinense
Capsicum baccatum
Capsicum frutescens

Frequently Asked Questions

Capsicum pubescens is one of five domesticated pepper species. We track 2 varieties in this species.
Rocoto at 30,000–100,000 SHU.
The most common origins are: Peru, Mexico.
Sources & References

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Browse our full pepper database, compare varieties head-to-head, or find peppers by heat level. For cooking inspiration, check our guides and recipes.

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