Variety field guide
What to expect from Ají Habanero Pepper Seeds
Ají Habanero maintained seed line pepper seeds produce orange hot chile pepper fruit about 3 in long, tapered fruit on upright, erect plants reaching 37–48 in; maturity is 90-99 Days.
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Ají Habanero maintained seed line pepper seeds grow into upright, erect plants reaching 37–48 in, bearing orange fruit about 3 in long, tapered fruit. Heat category: Hot. It is especially suited to fresh salsa, sauces, drying, pickling, and fruit-forward hot-pepper cooking. Maturity is 90-99 Days.
Minimum seeds per packet: 25 seeds.
About Ají Habanero maintained seed line
Ají Habanero maintained seed line is a hot chile pepper grown as Capsicum baccatum L. Plants have an upright, erect habit and reach 37–48 in; support is listed as stake. The principal mature or market color is Orange, with fruit described as about 3 in long, tapered fruit. Reproductive classification: Open-Pollinated (OP). Maturity: 90-99 Days. Names associated with this variety include Ají Habanero, Ají Habanero pepper, Pepper Seeds - Hot Pepper - Ají Habanero.
- Scientific name:Capsicum baccatum L.
- Life cycle:Annual
- Planting season:Spring
- Growth habit:Upright/Erect
- Plant height:37–48 in
- Sunlight:Full sun
- Seed depth:1/4 in
- Germination:10–21 Days at 75–90 °F
- Spacing:24 in between plants; 36 in between rows
- Soil:Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5
- Water:Moderate
- Support:Stake
- Reproductive type:Open-Pollinated (OP)
- Fruit:Orange; About 3 in long, tapered fruit
- Heat:Hot; 30,000-80,000 SHU
History and seedkeeping context
The word habanero is often associated with Capsicum chinense, but the maintained lot in this listing is identified as Capsicum baccatum. That botanical distinction matters for plant habit, flower characters, crossing expectations, season length, and seed saving. “Ají Habanero” is therefore retained as the seed-line name without silently changing the species to match a familiar market word.
Public documentation strong enough to establish a named breeder, release date, or single regional origin for this exact commercial strain has not been located. The page describes what can be supported: a tall, warm-season baccatum-type pepper with orange tapered fruit, fruit-forward aroma, and substantial heat. Seedkeepers should preserve the observed population and label it with both the seed-line name and botanical identity.
The available sources do not establish a named person’s tribal identity.
Fruit, flavor, and kitchen use
Ají Habanero maintained seed line is best suited to fresh salsa, sauces, drying, pickling, and fruit-forward hot-pepper cooking. Its flavor is citrusy, fruity, and aromatic with strong heat. Harvest stage matters: immature fruit is usually firmer and greener in flavor, while fully colored fruit is generally softer, sweeter, or more aromatic. Use hot varieties carefully and measure them according to the needs of the recipe rather than assuming one pod equals another. Ají Habanero maintained seed line is especially useful for fresh salsa, sauces, drying, pickling, and fruit-forward hot-pepper cooking. Flavor and eating quality are described as citrusy, fruity, and aromatic with strong heat. Heat classification: Hot; listed range: 30,000-80,000 SHU. Pungency can shift with genetics, weather, water stress, and ripeness.
How to grow Ají Habanero maintained seed line
Start Ají Habanero maintained seed line indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before the last expected frost. Sow 1/4 in deep in a warm, evenly moist seed-starting mix; expect 10–21 Days near 75–90 °F. Provide strong light as soon as seedlings emerge, pot up before roots become crowded, and harden plants gradually before transplanting after nights are reliably warm.
Plant in full sun with loamy soil near pH 6.0–6.5. Space plants 24 in apart and rows 36 in apart. Maintain moderate moisture, mulch after the soil warms, and avoid excessive nitrogen. Install stake early where the upright, erect plant or fruit load warrants it. Mature height is 37–48 in.
Season care
• Warmth matters most during germination; keep Ají Habanero maintained seed line seed warm without leaving the medium saturated. • Harden seedlings gradually and wait for warm nights before transplanting, because cold soil and wind can stall peppers for weeks. • Install stake before branches carry a heavy crop, and keep moisture even while fruit is setting. • Harvest at the color stage suited to the recipe, but leave fruit fully mature on selected plants when saving seed. • Use 90-99 Days as a planning range rather than a guaranteed calendar date; weather and transplant stress can shift first harvest.
Harvest and maturity
90-99 Days from transplant to first representative harvest; the same value is used in every description. Peppers can often be used at an immature green or transitional color, but fully ripe color is required for mature seed.
Saving seed
Peppers are largely self-pollinating but insect movement can produce crosses. To save Ají Habanero maintained seed line true to type, grow several healthy representative plants, isolate them from compatible pepper varieties or use blossom bags or cages, and remove clear off-types before flowering. Allow selected fruit to reach full biological color, handle hot fruit with gloves, remove the seed, dry it in a thin labeled layer until fully hard and dry, then store it cool, dark, and dry. Keep the harvest year, source, isolation method, and selection notes with the lot.
Common questions
When is Ají Habanero maintained seed line ready?
Plan around 90-99 Days. The listed range is a planning guide, and weather, transplant stress, and harvest stage can shift the actual date.
How long does germination take?
Expect 10–21 Days near 75–90 °F. Cooler media, excess water, old seed, or uneven moisture can delay emergence.
How large does it grow?
Expect about 37–48 in. Growth habit: Upright/Erect. Support: Stake.
How is it used?
Fresh salsa, sauces, drying, pickling, and fruit-forward hot-pepper cooking
Can I save seed?
Peppers are largely self-pollinating but insect movement can produce crosses.
