# Carolina Cayenne

Also known as Cayenne Carolina.
Species: Capsicum annuum.

Carolina Cayenne is a Capsicum annuum selection from Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Capsi’s sourced range is 105,000 SHU (Official breeder). Flavor is peppery, sharp. Used for hot sauce, pepper vinegar, pickling, drying for flakes or powder, soups. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.
About 3.3 times a Capsi Jalapeño (31,902 SHU typical).

## Heat sources

- 105,000 SHU · Official breeder
  R.L. Fery, P.D. Dukes, and W.L. Ogle (1986) HortScience
  DOI: 10.21273/HORTSCI.21.2.330
  https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.21.2.330

- 80,000–100,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Heavenly Seed
  https://heavenlyseed.net/product/cayenne-carolina-pepper/

- 120,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  HRSeeds
  https://www.hrseeds.com/product-page/carolina-cayenne-pepper

- 80,000 SHU · Vendor Claim
  Atlantic Pepper Seeds
  http://pepperseeds.ca/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1032

## Heritage

Selection

Carolina Cayenne is a selection of Carolina Hot.

Credit: USDA-ARS U.S. Vegetable Laboratory and Clemson University · 1986

Parent:
- Carolina Hot (Not in Capsi yet)

USDA and Clemson’s 1986 HortScience release and Fery and Dukes’s 1996 inheritance paper both describe Carolina Cayenne as a selection from Carolina Hot. Catalogs repeat that Clemson and USDA origin and name no other parents.

## Page sources

- [USDA-Clemson cultivar release paper for Carolina Cayenne](https://journals.ashs.org/downloadpdf/view/journals/hortsci/21/2/article-p330.pdf)
- [Fery and Dukes 1996 paper on Carolina Hot inheritance, naming Carolina Cayenne as a selection from that cultivar](https://journals.ashs.org/downloadpdf/view/journals/jashs/121/6/article-p1024.pdf)
- [USDA ARS record of Thies, Mueller, and Fery field tests of Carolina Cayenne nematode resistance](https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=63562)
- [Richard Fery interview on Carolina Cayenne fruit color and garden use](https://www.postandcourier.com/food/local-tiger-paw-pepper-on-way-to-market/article_a318c221-944e-5c02-acbc-d1a9c3617911.html)
- [Southern Exposure Seed Exchange 2025 catalog listing](https://www.southernexposure.com/catalog/sese-catalog-2025-for-web.pdf)
- [Living Seed Company packet description](https://www.livingseedcompany.com/products/carolina-cayenne-hot-pepper-seeds-capsicum-annuum)
- [Truelove Seeds grower listing and cultural notes](https://trueloveseeds.com/collections/chelsea-askew/products/carolina-cayenne-pepper)
- [Heavenly Seed listing with fruit color and pungency range](https://heavenlyseed.net/product/cayenne-carolina-pepper/)

## FAQ
### How hot is Carolina Cayenne?

Capsi’s sourced range is 105,000 SHU (Official breeder). Capsi uses a sourced range and a trust tier, not a single marketing number. How we verify heat: https://web.thecapsi.app/learn/heat-and-capsaicin/how-we-measure-heat

### What does Carolina Cayenne taste like?

Sharp, clean cayenne heat with little fruit. Green pods taste grassier. Dried pods grind to a neutral powder that adds heat without turning a dish floral.

### How do I grow Carolina Cayenne?

Carolina Cayenne: about 70 days to maturity, subtropical climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.

### What can I substitute for Carolina Cayenne?

Charleston Hot, Cayenne

Page: https://web.thecapsi.app/pepper/carolina-cayenne
Catalog: https://web.thecapsi.app/data