VegetablePepper
Scotch Bonnet Yellow Pepper
Scotch Bonnet Yellow peppers are a fiery heirloom cultivar of Capsicum chinense that deliver serious heat wrapped in tropical fruit flavors. These upright plants grow 24 to 36 inches tall and produce luminous yellow pods loaded with 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville Heat Units, enough to make your lips go numb. From transplant to first harvest takes 90 to 109 days, and they thrive in full sun across hardiness zones 4 through 13, making them accessible to gardeners nearly everywhere. Open-pollinated and deer-resistant, this heirloom pepper offers both reliability and the joy of seed-saving for future seasons.
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
Yellow Scotch Bonnets pack a punch that rivals or exceeds habaneros, with a flavor profile that goes beyond raw heat to include fruity, smoking undertones that deepen when cooked. The yellow color alone signals their tropical character, and the compact upright growth habit means you can tuck multiple plants into containers, raised beds, or garden plots without monopolizing space. These plants are genuinely prolific producers once they start flowering, rewarding consistent care with an abundance of distinctive lantern-shaped peppers ready for harvest in late summer.
Common Uses
Yellow Scotch Bonnets excel in hot sauces, salsas, and spice blends where their fruity heat can shine. The intense Scoville rating makes them prized by hot-pepper enthusiasts and cooks who want serious fire without sacrificing flavor. They're excellent candidates for fresh or dried preservation, smoking, or fermentation, allowing gardeners to capture their smoky undertones in long-term storage.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last expected frost date. Maintain soil temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit for reliable germination, which typically occurs within 7 to 14 days. Keep seedlings under grow lights and maintain consistent moisture without waterlogging.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant outdoors only after the soil temperature has reached at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit and all frost danger has passed. Space plants 18 inches apart with 36 inches between rows, burying them slightly deeper than they were growing in containers to encourage strong root development.
Harvesting
Peppers can be harvested at the mature yellow stage when they feel firm and have developed their full size, typically 100 to 109 days after transplanting. For maximum heat and flavor development, allow peppers to fully ripen on the plant until they're bright yellow and have begun to wrinkle slightly at the shoulders. Use a sharp knife or pruners to cut peppers rather than pulling, which can damage the plant.
Pruning
Remove lower leaves and small side shoots early in the season to encourage upright, sturdy growth and improve air circulation around the base of the plant. Pinching off the first flower buds when plants are 6 to 8 inches tall redirects energy into stronger branch development, ultimately increasing fruit production later in the season.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Deer ResistantEdible
Scientific Classification
Capsicum chinense
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Capsicum
Growth Habit
Upright