VegetablePepper
Dragon Grilling Pepper
Dragon Grilling Pepper is an F1 hybrid that brings together the best traits of Shishito and Padron peppers, creating a versatile grilling and roasting workhorse. This upright annual grows 18-24 inches tall and produces peppers with serious heat, ranging from 75,000 to 150,000 Scoville Heat Units. Ready to harvest in just 70-79 days from transplant, it thrives in zones 4-13 and handles deer pressure that would devastate other pepper varieties. Whether you're growing in containers, garden beds, or raised beds, this hybrid delivers the performance of two beloved pepper lineages in a single plant.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
4-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With 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
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
This hybrid captures the grilling magic of both Shishito and Padron peppers by blending their most desirable qualities into one plant. It reaches full production in 70-79 days, making it one of the faster peppers to harvest. The combination of heat levels (75,000 to 150,000 SHU) with a growth habit compact enough for containers means you get serious pepper potential without a sprawling plant. Deer resistance adds another layer of reliability to an already tough, garden-friendly variety.
Common Uses
Dragon Grilling Pepper shines on the grill, under the broiler, or in the stir-fry pan. Its hybrid heritage from Shishito and Padron peppers means it performs beautifully when roasted whole or halved, developing sweet, charred edges that balance its moderate to hot heat. The compact plant makes it well-suited to container growing, so even gardeners with limited space can grow fresh peppers for regular cooking.
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. Pepper seeds germinate best at soil temperatures between 70-80°F. Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep and keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Seedlings typically emerge in 7-14 days under warm conditions.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the soil has warmed and all danger of frost has passed. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before planting. Space plants 18 inches apart, with 36 inches between rows. Peppers thrive when soil temperature reaches at least 60°F, though growth accelerates in warmer conditions.
Harvesting
Peppers are ready to harvest 70-79 days after transplanting. Pick peppers when they reach full size and color; they can be harvested green or allowed to mature to red for deeper flavor and maximum heat development. Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut peppers from the plant rather than pulling, which can damage the branches.
Pruning
Minimal pruning is needed given the upright, compact growth habit. Pinching off the first flower buds when transplants are young can encourage bushier growth and more abundant fruiting later, though this delays harvest slightly.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Deer ResistantEdible
Scientific Classification
Capsicum annuum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Capsicum
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (NI)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)
History & Origin
“Dragon Grilling Pepper represents a deliberate hybrid cross between two iconic grilling peppers: Shishito and Padron. Shishito peppers have long been prized in Japanese and Asian cuisines for their mild heat and tender flesh when roasted, while Padron peppers hold similar status in Spanish food culture. By combining the genetics of both varieties, breeders created a new option that captures the roasting and grilling potential both varieties are famous for, while adding the heat profile and other horticultural traits that make it distinctive as its own variety.”