VegetablePepper
Cherry Mini Hot Pepper
Cherry Mini Hot Pepper is a compact F1 hybrid that brings serious heat to small spaces. This Capsicum annuum variety grows just 20-22 inches tall but delivers full-sized flavor in miniature form, producing cherry-sized peppers that pack 4,000 to 6,000 Scoville Heat Units. Ready to harvest in 70-79 days from transplant, it thrives in zones 4-13 and suits container gardens, raised beds, and greenhouse growing equally well. The peppers themselves are roughly half the size of standard hot cherry peppers, making them perfect for intensive gardeners who want maximum yield from minimal footprint.
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
22 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
4-13
Size
22in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Cherry Mini Hot Pepper proves that size and heat aren't mutually exclusive. This compact hybrid produces abundantly in just 70 days, giving you weeks of harvest before frost arrives in cooler zones. The medium heat level (4,000-6,000 SHU) hits the sweet spot between flavor and manageability, and the cherry-sized fruits work beautifully in containers, raised beds, or tucked into greenhouse corners where larger pepper varieties would sprawl.
Common Uses
These peppers work beautifully in any application where you'd use hot cherry peppers but need smaller fruits. Fresh slicing into salsas, pickling whole or halved for shelf-stable heat, drying for spice blends, or fermenting for hot sauce all work well. The compact size makes them especially useful for garnishing, infusing vinegars, or gift-giving in small bunches.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your area's last spring frost date. Use warm soil (70-80°F) and keep seedlings under lights until transplant time. True Leaf Market notes approximately 4,000 seeds per ounce, so sow thinly to avoid crowding.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings gradually over 7-10 days before moving them outdoors. Transplant after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed; cherry peppers establish best when nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50°F. Space transplants 18 inches apart with 36 inches between rows.
Harvesting
Peppers mature in 70-79 days from transplant. Begin harvesting when fruits reach full cherry size and turn their mature color (typically red, though some may ripen to orange or yellow depending on plant genetics). Pick peppers regularly to encourage continued blooming and production; use scissors or pruners to cut the short stem rather than twisting, which can damage the plant. Mature peppers will feel firm and glossy.
Pruning
Cherry Mini Hot Pepper's upright growth habit naturally produces a compact, bushy plant that rarely needs pruning. Remove any damaged or diseased leaves as they appear, and pinch the growing tip if plants become too tall or straggly, though their modest 20-22 inch mature height usually eliminates the need for major pruning work.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Capsicum annuum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Capsicum
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (NI)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)
History & Origin
“True Leaf Market offers this F1 hybrid as a non-GMO option developed through selective crossing to create a plant with the productive vigor of hybrid peppers and the compact growth habit suited to space-limited gardeners. The breeding goal was clear: capture the heat and appearance of traditional hot cherry peppers while reducing plant size by roughly half, making quality pepper production accessible to anyone without sprawling garden beds.”