Datil Pepper
Capsicum chinense

days to maturity: 60 - 210
plant spacing: 1 plant per square foot
sunlight requirement: 6 - 14 hours
look out for: white fly & spider mites
harvest notes: harvest when fruit turns yellowish orange
scoville heat units: 100,000 to 300,000
seasons: fall, winter, spring
annual

A datil pepper is a small hot pepper found in great abundance locally in St. Augustine, Florida. The pepper is a variety of the species Capsicum chinense also known as “yellow lantern chili.” The fruit of datil peppers grows to be anywhere from 1/4 inch to 4 inches long, and they are a yellowish orange color when ripe. Many people utilize the datil pepper in their recipes in order to add some kick to their Minorcan chowder or other local dishes. But what makes a datil pepper unique from other peppers? A datil pepper is similar in its heat index to a habanero, hitting at around 100,000 to 300,000 on the Scoville scale--a scale used to measure the spiciness of peppers. But unlike habaneros, datil peppers are sweet, with a fruitful tangy taste to them. Datils are very common in St. Augustine but uncommon pretty much everywhere else. We saved seed for this beloved variety while driving through St. Augustine on a road trip and we’ve been growing it ever since!

We also sell seed packets of this variety.