Cayenne Pepper
Red Flame Cayenne Pepper is an F1 hybrid that delivers serious productivity in a compact bush form, reaching full harvest maturity in just 60 days from transplants. This higher-yielding Red Rocket type produces abundant peppers ideal for stringing into ristras, the traditional dried pepper garlands that have been a cornerstone of Southwestern cooking for centuries. With its bush growth habit and rapid maturation, this variety brings both efficiency and cultural tradition to the home garden or market grower.
18-24 inches apart
—
Moderate
3-11
?in H x ?in W
Annual
High
Hover over chart points for details
What sets Red Flame Cayenne apart is its breeding for yield and vigor as an improved Red Rocket type, combined with the practical advantages of an F1 hybrid. The compact bush habit means you can space plants just 12 inches apart, maximizing productivity in limited space. Reaching harvestable maturity in 60 days from transplants makes this one of the faster cayenne options, perfect for gardeners eager to see results. Its development specifically for ristras, the beautiful strung pepper arrangements, suggests it produces uniform, harvestable peppers in abundance.
Red Flame Cayenne peppers are primarily used for drying and stringing into ristras, the iconic dried pepper garlands that add both flavor and visual beauty to kitchens and have been used in Southwestern cooking for centuries. Fresh or dried, these peppers deliver the characteristic heat and pungent flavor of cayennes, making them essential for hot sauce production, spice blends, and any preparation where you want authentic cayenne pepper intensity.
Sow seeds in late March, roughly 8 weeks before your transplant date, at a rate of 4 seeds per inch in shallow flats or 20-row trays, pressing seeds 1/4 inch deep into moist starting mix. Maintain soil temperature at 80-90°F for reliable germination, as pepper seeds germinate very slowly in cooler soil. Once the first true leaves appear, transplant seedlings into 2-inch cell-type containers or 4-inch pots and grow them at approximately 70°F during the day and 60°F at night. Look for seedlings with visible buds before moving them outdoors — this indicates they're ready for field conditions.
Transplant outdoors after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed, ideally waiting until nighttime temperatures stay consistently above 60°F. Space plants 12 inches apart in their permanent location. If using row covers for early season protection, support them with wire hoops and remove them on sunny days once temperatures consistently exceed 85°F to prevent heat damage and blossom drop.
Red Flame Cayenne reaches harvestable maturity 60 days after transplanting. Peppers intended for fresh use or ristras should be harvested when they reach full red color and achieve their characteristic firm texture. The compact bush habit ensures even ripening across the plant, making successive harvests straightforward. Simply cut or snap peppers from the stem, the abundance this hybrid produces means regular picking will keep plants flowering and producing.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.