How to Grow Scotch Bonnet 'Freeport' Chillies from Seed

September 16, 2026

Scotch Bonnet Freeport chillies on the plant

Chilli Growing Guides · Capsicum chinense

How to Grow Scotch Bonnet 'Freeport' from Seed

A named Jamaican selection that comes true every time: tropical, floral perfume over a genuinely serious heat. The pepper jerk is built on.

Most Scotch bonnets sold as seed are a type rather than a variety, and what comes up can range from a squat yellow pod to something much closer to a habanero. 'Freeport' is a named Jamaican selection that has been kept true, so it comes up the same every time.

That consistency matters, because a good Scotch bonnet carries a tropical, almost floral perfume under its heat. The flavour arrives before the burn: sweet, fruity, with a floral lift, then the heat follows, and it is the real thing.

Quick Facts at a Glance

Species

Capsicum chinense

Heat

Very hot

Sow

January to February

Harvest

September to October

Best Grown

Under cover all season

Difficulty

Full growing method

'Freeport' 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

True to type

A named Jamaican selection, so plants and pods come up consistent every time.

The flavour

Tropical and fruity with a floral lift, followed by serious heat.

In the kitchen

Blitz with allspice, thyme, ginger and spring onion for jerk marinade, or make an island pepper sauce.

Growing note

Slower than most chinense. Allow up to four weeks at 25 to 28°C and keep warmth steady overnight.

Handling

Wear gloves when cutting or deseeding, and keep your hands away from your eyes and face.

Sowing & Harvest Calendar

Sow in January so the plant has the whole season ahead of it. In Britain keep it under glass from start to finish: the pods need warmth well into autumn to colour and sweeten, and it crops steadily into October.