Description
Chilli Name : CAROLINA REAPER RED (HP22B)
Chilli Species : Chinense
Chilli Origin : USA (Ed Currie, PuckerButt Pepper Company)
Chilli Heat : Superhot (World Record – Guinness Certified)
The Carolina Reaper Red (HP22B) is the world’s most famous superhot, bred by Ed Currie of the PuckerButt Pepper Company in South Carolina, USA. First developed in the early 2000s and stabilised under the code HP22B, it was certified by Guinness World Records in 2013 as the hottest chilli pepper in the world, averaging over 1.6 million SHU with individual pods exceeding 2.2 million SHU.
Pods are small to medium, heavily wrinkled, and frequently feature the signature “stinger tail”, caused by the dried flower base restricting pod growth — now iconic among superhots. They ripen from green to a deep crimson red, with a flavour that mixes fruitiness with searing, lingering fire.
Plants are compact yet highly productive, usually 80–110 cm tall, and yield strongly when grown in hot conditions with a long season.
Seeds germinate best at 28–30 °C, sprouting within 10–21 days. Plants require around 100–120 days to reach maturity, with greenhouse or polytunnel growing strongly recommended in cooler climates.
