Variety field guide
What to expect from Ají Dulce #2 Pepper Seeds
Ají Dulce #2 maintained seed line pepper seeds produce red sweet pepper fruit about 1-2 in wide, flattened lantern-shaped fruit on shrubby plants reaching 25–30 in; maturity is 100-109 Days.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Ají Dulce #2 maintained seed line pepper seeds grow into shrubby plants reaching 25–30 in, bearing red fruit about 1-2 in wide, flattened lantern-shaped fruit. Heat category: Sweet. It is especially suited to sofrito, stews, rice, beans, sauces, fresh seasoning, and aromatic cooking without habanero-level heat. Maturity is 100-109 Days.
About Ají Dulce #2 maintained seed line
Ají Dulce #2 maintained seed line is a sweet pepper grown as Capsicum chinense Jacq. Plants have a shrubby habit and reach 25–30 in; support is listed as stake. The principal mature or market color is Red, with fruit described as about 1-2 in wide, flattened lantern-shaped fruit. Reproductive classification: Open-Pollinated (OP). Maturity: 100-109 Days. Names associated with this variety include Ají Dulce #2, Ají Dulce #2 pepper, Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Ají Dulce #2.
- Scientific name:Capsicum chinense Jacq.
- Life cycle:Annual
- Planting season:Spring
- Growth habit:Shrubby/Subshrub
- Plant height:25–30 in
- Sunlight:Full sun
- Seed depth:1/4 in
- Germination:14–28 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:Red; About 1-2 in wide, flattened lantern-shaped fruit
- Heat:Sweet; 0-500 SHU
History and seedkeeping context
Ají dulce peppers are important seasoning peppers in Caribbean and Latin American cooking, valued for Capsicum chinense aroma without the severe heat of many habanero relatives. The number “#2” is retained as this seller's lot designation; it is not presented as a universal registry number or proof of one formal release. Commercial ají dulce populations can vary in shape, color, aroma, and occasional pungency, so this page describes the maintained red-ripening lot rather than every pepper sold under the broad name.
The crop's history is living and regional, carried through farms, gardens, kitchens, and seed exchange. Seedkeepers should select several representative plants for aromatic flavor, low heat, characteristic fruit form, plant health, and red maturity while recording any unexpectedly pungent or off-type plants. The available sources do not establish a named person’s tribal identity.
Fruit, flavor, and kitchen use
Ají Dulce #2 maintained seed line is best suited to sofrito, stews, rice, beans, sauces, fresh seasoning, and aromatic cooking without habanero-level heat. Its flavor is fruity, floral, aromatic, and sweet to very mildly pungent. 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 Dulce #2 maintained seed line is especially useful for sofrito, stews, rice, beans, sauces, fresh seasoning, and aromatic cooking without habanero-level heat. Flavor and eating quality are described as fruity, floral, aromatic, and sweet to very mildly pungent. Heat classification: Sweet; listed range: 0-500 SHU. Pungency can shift with genetics, weather, water stress, and ripeness.
How to grow Ají Dulce #2 maintained seed line
Start Ají Dulce #2 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 14–28 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 shrubby plant or fruit load warrants it. Mature height is 25–30 in.
Season care
• Warmth matters most during germination; keep Ají Dulce #2 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 100-109 Days as a planning range rather than a guaranteed calendar date; weather and transplant stress can shift first harvest.
Harvest and maturity
100-109 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 Dulce #2 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 Dulce #2 maintained seed line ready?
Plan around 100-109 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 14–28 Days near 75–90 °F. Cooler media, excess water, old seed, or uneven moisture can delay emergence.
How large does it grow?
Expect about 25–30 in. Growth habit: Shrubby/Subshrub. Support: Stake.
How is it used?
Sofrito, stews, rice, beans, sauces, fresh seasoning, and aromatic cooking without habanero-level heat
Can I save seed?
Peppers are largely self-pollinating but insect movement can produce crosses.






