How to Grow Bhutlah Red Chillies from Seed
Bhut Jolokia crossed with 7 Pot Douglah, bred to be hotter than either parent. Heat that lands almost at once and lands hard.
Bhutlah is a deliberate cross between the Bhut Jolokia and the Trinidad 7 Pot Douglah, bred to be hotter than either parent, and it worked. The red form is routinely put alongside the Carolina Reaper. Where a Bhut Jolokia creeps up on you, the Bhutlah lands almost at once and lands hard.
There is real flavour under it for anyone equipped to find it: floral fruitiness from the ghost side and deep, earthy Caribbean richness from the Douglah, complex enough to justify a hot sauce rather than a dare.
Species
Capsicum chinense
Heat
Extreme superhot
Sow
December to February
Harvest
August to October
Plant Height
1.5m or more
Difficulty
Full growing method
Bhutlah is grown like every other Capsicum chinense. Our species guide covers sowing temperatures, potting on, feeding, pollination, overwintering and problems step by step.
Read the Capsicum chinense guide →About this Variety
The fruit
Large, gnarled, heavily wrinkled pods, often pointed, ripening to glossy deep red.
The heat
Immediate and intense, rather than the slow build of its ghost pepper parent.
The plant
Vigorous, 1.5m or more, carrying a serious weight of pods. Support branches by late summer.
Growing note
Needs a greenhouse or polytunnel and the longest season you can give it.
Superhot handling
Wear gloves and eye protection when picking and processing the fruit, and use it in fragments rather than whole pods. Keep fruit, seed and plants away from children and pets.
Sowing & Harvest Calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Sow, heated | ||||||||||||
| 🪴 Final pots | ||||||||||||
| 🌶️ Harvest |
Variety Specifications
Not a chilli for the curious
Sow in winter, give it room and support under glass, and grow one of the most intense superhots there is.
Shop Bhutlah Red Seeds →