Hot Pepper 'Jamaican Hot Chocolate'

This is a hybrid, cross between Chocolate Habanero and Clavo peppers. The plant produces 2-3" long fruit shaped more like a Clavo than a...Read More Habanero (thin and pointed with ribs and large wrinkles). The pictures provided on this webpage are not of a Chocolate Jamaican, they are of a plain chocolate habanero.

I'd estimate heat level at about 200,000 scoville units, and a distinctive smoky flavor. That flavor is their most desirable quality. The plants reach 24-36 inches tall (or more, mine were root bound in pots and exceeded 24 inches quite early in the season), more sparsely populated with smaller leaves than the typical habanero varieties and only moderate fruit producer... still a lot of fruit but less than the average for chinense relatives.

They thrive in 90F+ temperature, lose less water due to fewer, smaller, less broad leaves than habaneros (so less watering or rain needed but not a LOT less), and seem to need a little more nitrogen and calcium rich soil that some peppers for best results.

Excellent in hot sauce or salsa, but a bit too hot for a salad unless you're a chilehead. Seeds do not need to be cleaned, just store after fully dry though they take up less space if cleaned first.

Large variance in germination time based on soil temperature, 10-15 days in 85F+ versus 15-25 in 75-85F. Otherwise, a typical chinense with regards to growing conditions.

An 85 day brown when ripe Habernero.