VegetablePepper
Tobago Seasoning Pepper
The Tobago Seasoning Pepper is a mild, open-pollinated hot pepper from Trinidad and Tobago that delivers surprising depth despite its gentle heat. This heirloom Capsicum chinense grows 24 to 36 inches tall and produces elongated fruits that journey from green through orange to brilliant red, each pod brimming with a distinctive smoky and fruity character. Ready to harvest in 90 to 99 days from transplant, it thrives across hardiness zones 4 through 13 and performs equally well in garden beds, raised boxes, or greenhouse conditions.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
4-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam, High Organic Matter
Growth Stats
36 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
4-13
Size
36in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
This Caribbean heirloom strikes an unusual balance: it's classified as a hot pepper yet delivers only 500 to 1,000 Scoville Heat Units, making it far more approachable than typical Capsicum chinense varieties. The elongated fruits develop a complex smoky and fruity flavor that deepens as they mature from orange to red, offering something genuinely different from the one-dimensional heat or sweetness of common pepper varieties. Its upright growth habit and moderate water needs make it surprisingly straightforward to grow, even for gardeners new to peppers.
Common Uses
The Tobago Seasoning Pepper excels in Caribbean-inspired cooking, where its smoky and fruity profile enhances curries, stews, and traditional pepper sauces. Fresh or dried, it works beautifully in hot sauces where gardeners want flavor complexity rather than pure heat. Its mild Scoville range makes it suitable for family meals and fresh preparations where a gentle warmth won't overpower other ingredients.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost date in a warm environment of 75 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the seed starting mix consistently moist but not soggy, and provide bright light as soon as seedlings emerge. Peppers germinate slowly and can take 10 to 14 days to break soil.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors once nighttime temperatures consistently exceed 60 degrees Fahrenheit and all danger of frost has passed. Harden off plants by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows 36 inches wide, in full sun locations with well-draining soil.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting peppers 90 to 99 days after transplanting when they reach full size. Pick peppers at any stage: green for a sharper flavor, orange for developing complexity, or fully red for maximum smokiness and sweetness. Peppers mature from the bottom of the plant upward; harvest with scissors or pruners to avoid damaging the stem, and the plant will continue flowering and producing new fruits through the season.
Pruning
Pinch off the first flower buds as they form to encourage branching and a bushier plant structure, resulting in higher overall yields. Remove any dead or diseased branches throughout the season, and thin interior foliage if the plant becomes very dense and shaded in the center.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Capsicum chinense
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Capsicum
Growth Habit
Upright
History & Origin
“The Tobago Seasoning Pepper carries the story of Trinidad and Tobago in every seed. This island nation, with its rich agricultural traditions and unique growing conditions, developed and preserved this variety over generations. As an open-pollinated heirloom, it represents the work of countless Caribbean gardeners who selected and replanted seeds year after year, maintaining its distinctive smoky character and mild heat level while adapting it to tropical and subtropical growing conditions.”