VegetablePepper
Cienfuegos Red Pepper
Cienfuegos Red is an F1 hybrid habanero pepper bred for gardeners who want serious heat with reliable yields. This Capsicum chinense variety produces compact, upright plants reaching 18, 24 inches tall, loaded with small, intensely hot peppers that mature from green to a deep red in just 80, 89 days. With 300,000, 400,000 Scoville Heat Units, it delivers the fruity, complex burn characteristic of habaneros, but with the uniformity and early maturity that hybrids are known for. Deer leave it alone, and it thrives in zones 4, 13, making it accessible to gardeners across most of North America.
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
24 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
4-13
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
The fruits are compact and prolific, each one measuring just 1.5 inches by three-quarters of an inch, but packing 300,000, 400,000 Scoville Heat Units of habanero intensity. This hybrid was engineered specifically for growers who prioritize consistency and yield over heirloom charm, delivering uniform plants and early, abundant harvests. The fruity heat profile sets it apart from milder peppers, while its deer resistance means your crop stays unmolested even in areas where wildlife pressure is high.
Common Uses
Cienfuegos Red is built for hot sauce and culinary heat. The fruity character of the peppers, combined with their small, dense size, makes them excellent for fermenting, smoking, or processing into salsas and pepper pastes. Fresh peppers can be dried for spice blends or ground into powder. Home gardeners use them to build heat into sauces, salsas, and curries while maintaining habanero's distinctive fruity undertone.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6, 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Peppers germinate best at 70, 85°F soil temperature. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, and provide bright light once seedlings emerge.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings gradually over 7, 10 days before moving them outdoors. Transplant after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperature reaches at least 60°F, ideally 70°F or warmer. Space plants 18 inches apart with 36 inches between rows. Plant deeply, burying the stem up to the first true leaves to encourage strong root development.
Harvesting
Peppers can be harvested at the green stage, but for maximum heat and the full fruity flavor, wait until they turn a deep red, which occurs around 80, 89 days from transplant. Peppers should feel firm and glossy; cut them from the plant with pruners rather than pulling to avoid damaging branches. Fruits continue ripening on the vine, so check plants regularly once they begin producing.
Pruning
Pinch off the first flowers or flower buds when seedlings are 6, 8 inches tall to encourage branching and a bushier plant structure. This initial pruning delays fruiting slightly but results in a more productive plant overall. Remove any dead, diseased, or crossing branches as plants mature to improve air circulation.
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