Pre-orders for 2027 open in early January. Plants are expected to ship from mid-April.
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What makes it special?
Rocoto Large Red is something botanically special from the start: the variety belongs to Capsicum pubescens and differs clearly from most classic chillies. Typical are hairy leaves, black seeds and thick-fleshed, juicy fruit.
The red rocotos reach around 30,000–100,000 Scoville and combine clear heat with a fresh, fruity aroma. We raise our rocoto plants ourselves in Illmitz.
Flavour & Use
Rocoto Large Red tastes fruity, juicy and clearly hot. Thanks to the unusually thick fruit walls, its texture is more reminiscent of a small pepper than a thin-walled chilli.
The fruit is excellent for stuffing and baking, roasting, relishes, stews, or thinly sliced as a fresh seasoning. In South America, rocoto is known, among other things, for stuffed dishes like rocoto relleno.
The heat is around 30,000–100,000 Scoville Heat Units and can vary noticeably depending on growing conditions.
Fruit & Plant
Rocoto Large Red belongs to Capsicum pubescens. Alongside its black seeds, the lightly hairy leaves and shoots are a good identifying feature. The roundish, thick-fleshed fruit grows to around 5–8 cm and ripens from green to red.
The plant grows vigorously and bushy and can reach around 100–150 cm or more. Rocotos cope better with cooler nights than many Capsicum chinense varieties, but still need a long growing season for a good harvest.
Growing & Care
Rocoto Large Red prefers a bright, sheltered spot, but doesn't need to stand in the hottest, blazing midday sun. Sunny to lightly shaded spots with good air movement work very well. In our hot Illmitz summers, we've had some issues with flower drop in direct sun.
For pot growing, we recommend at least 8 litres, ideally 10 litres of soil volume. If you have the space, 15–20 litres is ideal. Water evenly; the dense foliage and vigorous growth can increase water needs in summer. Still, avoid waterlogging.
Rocoto is not frost-hardy but is very well suited to multi-year growing. Plants overwintered frost-free can get off to a much earlier start the following year.
Variety Data
Botanical species: Capsicum pubescens
Origin: the Andean region of South America
Heat: hot
Scoville: approx. 30,000–100,000 SHU
Flavour: fruity, juicy, aromatic
Fruit colour: green → red
Fruit size: approx. 5–8 cm
Fruit shape: roundish to lightly blocky, thick-fleshed
Seeds: black
Plant height: approx. 100–150 cm or more, depending on location and growing conditions
Growth: vigorous, bushy, with hairy leaves and shoots
Ripening time: late
Position: sunny to lightly shaded, bright and sheltered
Suitable for: large pot, patio, greenhouse and sheltered outdoor spots
Pot size: at least 8 litres, ideally 10 litres; 15–20 litres ideal
Use: stuffing, baking, roasting, relishes and stews
Overwintering: possible frost-free, especially suited to multi-year growing
Special feature: black seeds, hairy leaves and thick-fleshed fruit
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Rocoto Large Red - Chilli Plant
Regular price€3,99 EUR
Regular priceSale price€3,99 EUR
WANT TO LEARN MORE?
Rocoto Large Red – a thick-fleshed Andean chilli with black seeds
The Rocoto Large Red chilli plant is not a typical Capsicum annuum or habanero chilli. It belongs to Capsicum pubescens and stands out for its hairy leaves, black seeds and thick-fleshed red fruit.
What makes a rocoto plant special?
Rocotos come from the Andean region and are adapted to different conditions than many tropical superhots. They tolerate cooler nights comparatively well, but remain frost-sensitive. Thanks to their vigorous growth and long lifespan, they're especially well suited to multi-year growing. The roundish fruit grows about 5–8 cm, and the plant reaches 100–150 cm or more. You'll find more varieties of this species under Capsicum pubescens.
How hot is Rocoto Large Red?
The fruit sits at around 30,000–100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). Alongside the heat, the juicy, thick fruit wall is especially characteristic. That makes Rocoto Large Red excellent for stuffing, roasting and bold relishes.
Rocoto in the kitchen
Thanks to its thick fruit walls, the texture is more like a small pepper than a thin-walled chilli. In South America, rocoto is known among other things for rocoto relleno – stuffed and baked fruit. You'll find a method for home in our recipe for stuffed rocoto chillies from the oven. Rocoto Large Red is also a great addition to stews or, sliced into thin rings, as a fresh seasoning.
Position, pot and overwintering
Rocoto Large Red prefers a bright, sheltered spot but doesn't need to stand in the hottest midday sun; sunny to partly shaded spots with good air movement work very well. In our hot summers in Illmitz, we've sometimes had to deal with flower drop in full sun. Plan for at least 8, ideally 10 litres of pot volume, or 15–20 litres if you have the space, and water evenly. Rocotos overwintered frost-free get a much earlier start the following year – more on this in our guide to overwintering chilli plants.
Discover more rocoto varieties
If you'd like to get to know the special Capsicum pubescens group further, our Rocoto Oculto is also exciting. You'll find an overview of the rest of our range among our chilli plants, raised by us.
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WE'RE CELEBRATING!
More than just chillies is growing here right now: our new headquarters and our new greenhouse are taking shape. With our topping-out celebration we're marking an important milestone – and we'd love you to share in it!
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