How to Grow Purple Pumpkin Chillies from Seed
Tiny upturned pumpkins in purple, lavender, peach, orange and red, all on the plant at once. An ornamental first and a kitchen chilli second.
The pods really do look like miniature pumpkins: squat, deeply ribbed and lobed, sitting upright on the plant, so the effect is a bush covered in tiny upside-down pumpkins. They start deep purple, pass through lavender and cream mottling into peach and orange, and finish bright red, with every stage on the plant at once.
The heat is modest, somewhere between 3,000 and 10,000 Scoville units, roughly jalapeño territory, and the flesh is sweet, fruity and crisp. It is an ornamental first and a kitchen chilli second: the pods are small and thin-walled, so a plant will not give you much flesh.
Species
Capsicum annuum
Heat
3,000 to 10,000 SHU
Sow
February to April
Harvest
August to October
Maturity
80 to 90 days
Difficulty
Full growing method
Purple Pumpkin is grown like every other Capsicum annuum. Our species guide covers sowing, potting on, feeding and problems step by step.
Read the Capsicum annuum guide →About this Variety
The fruit
Squat, ribbed, upright pods like tiny pumpkins, purple through to red.
The trade-off
Flavour is best when fully red, and by then you have lost the purple you bought it for. Most people compromise and pick a few.
The flavour
Sweet, fruity and crisp, with modest heat.
Where to grow
Does well in a pot on a sunny patio, and better still under glass.
Handling
Wash your hands after cutting the fruit, and keep it away from your eyes.
Sowing & Harvest Calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🌱 Sow under cover | ||||||||||||
| 🪴 Final pots | ||||||||||||
| 🌶️ Harvest |
Variety Specifications
A bush of tiny purple pumpkins
Sow in spring, give it a sunny pot, and enjoy a rainbow of little upturned pumpkins through autumn.
Shop Purple Pumpkin Seeds →