This Pre-Columbian heirloom brings serious heat and ancient heritage to your garden in just 75 days. Named after the Cayenne River in French Guyana, these slender 4-6 inch peppers pack an impressive 30,000-50,000 Scoville Heat Units into their deceptively slim frames. Growing 18-24 inches tall in zones 4-13, this upright variety has been trusted by gardeners since Joseph Breck and Son first offered it in the seed trade back in 1883.
18
Full Sun
Moderate
4-13
24in H x ?in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
Don't let their narrow half-inch width fool you, these elegant red peppers deliver considerably more heat than jalapeños while offering remarkable versatility in the kitchen. This high-yielding heirloom thrives in containers and garden beds alike, producing an abundance of slender pods that transform from green to brilliant red as they mature. Their open-pollinated nature means you can save seeds to continue this ancient lineage in your own garden, connecting you to countless generations of pepper growers who have cherished this fiery variety.
These versatile peppers excel in multiple culinary applications, from fresh sauces that showcase their clean heat to dried and ground spice blends that add kick to any recipe. They preserve beautifully through canning and pickling, while their thin walls make them ideal for air-drying into colorful kitchen decorations that double as ready-to-use seasoning. Whether used fresh, dried, or processed, they deliver consistent heat with excellent flavor.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date, planting them 1/4 inch deep in well-draining seed starting mix or soil. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, and maintain temperatures between 80-90°F for optimal germination. Seeds typically germinate within 7-10 days under these warm conditions.
After germination, move seedlings to a cooler location for hardening off before transplanting outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. Space transplants 18 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart, ensuring roots are completely covered when planting.
Harvest when peppers reach 4-6 inches long and have turned bright red, indicating full maturity and peak heat. These hot varieties can also be picked at the green stage for milder heat if desired. Always use scissors or a sharp knife to cut peppers from the plant, leaving a small stem attached, and handle with gloves to avoid skin irritation from the capsaicin.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“This remarkable pepper carries a story that stretches back to Pre-Columbian times, making it one of the oldest cultivated pepper varieties still grown today. Named after the Cayenne River in French Guyana, this heirloom found its way into American gardens when Joseph Breck and Son first offered it in the seed trade in 1883. Its journey from ancient indigenous cultivation to Victorian-era seed catalogs represents centuries of careful selection and preservation by countless hands.”