Japanese name: ハバネロ Scientific name:Capsicum chinense Habanero Group
[Overview]
A much-branched perennial.
The leaves are simple and alternate, elliptic to lanceolate, with entire margins.
The flowers are borne in the leaf axils at the stem tips, singly or in clusters of a few, and are usually yellowish white. The corolla is 5–7-lobed.
The fruit is a fleshy berry about 2–6 cm long, ovoid to bell-shaped, with a depression at the tip; it ripens to red or orange, though some are white or brown.
[Uses]
The fruits are extremely pungent and are used as a spice.
[Cultivation]
It prefers sunny sites and fertile, well-aerated, well-drained soil.
During the growing season, do not let it run short of water or fertilizer. The roots are shallow, so care is needed to prevent drought. Lack of fertilizer or excess nitrogen results in poor fruit set.
Care is needed to avoid problems from continuous cropping.
Pests and diseases include powdery mildew, virus diseases, bacterial wilt, melon thrips, spider mites, aphids, armyworms and cutworms.
