Mad Hatter Pepper
Mad Hatter is a whimsical yet practical mild hybrid pepper (Capsicum baccatum) featuring a unique hat-like flattened disc shape, crisp sweet flavor with citrus-floral notes, and exceptional garden performance. A 2017 AAS winner bred for North American success.
About 1/310 the typical heat of a Capsi Jalapeño (25,086 SHU).
Growing
~85 days to maturity
Fruit size
5–9 cm
Flavor & Use
Sweet and refreshing with bright citrus and delicate floral notes that intensify and sweeten as the fruit matures. Crisp, crunchy texture from thinner walls. Predominantly sweet with only occasional mild warmth near the seeds in hot, dry conditions.
Culinary
About
Mad Hatter peppers are flattened, disc-shaped fruits with distinctive lobes or wings that give them a playful triangular hat appearance, similar to a bishop's crown but bred for milder flavor and better garden traits. Measuring 2-3.5 inches (5-9 cm) in diameter and weighing 1.4-1.7 ounces, they ripen from green to bright red. The fruits have thin walls and a crisp, crunchy texture. Flavor is sweetly fruity and complex, featuring refreshing citrus and floral notes that strengthen with maturity; heat is minimal or absent except possibly a light touch near the seeds in stressed plants. Plants grow vigorously to 3-4 feet tall and wide, producing abundant yields of 40 or more peppers each. This hybrid excels in a wide range of North American conditions thanks to targeted breeding by PanAmerican Seed.
Backstory
An F1 hybrid developed by PanAmerican Seed from South American Capsicum baccatum types (similar to Bishop's Crown). Bred to deliver the exotic shape and sweet flavor with much less heat and far better adaptability, earliness, and yields in North American gardens. Earned the 2017 All-America Selections National Award after outstanding trial performance for vigor, productivity, and taste.
Appearance
Growing
Heritage
ExploreMad Hatter Pepper is an F1 hybrid. Named parents aren't linked in Capsi yet.
PanAmerican Seed · 2017
Parents
Sources
FAQ
- How hot is Mad Hatter Pepper?
- Capsi’s sourced range is 81 SHU (Lab-verified; typical 81). 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 Mad Hatter Pepper taste like?
- Sweet and refreshing with bright citrus and delicate floral notes that intensify and sweeten as the fruit matures. Crisp, crunchy texture from thinner walls. Predominantly sweet with only occasional mild warmth near the seeds in hot, dry conditions.
- How do I grow Mad Hatter Pepper?
- Mad Hatter Pepper: about 85 days to maturity, adaptable to North American temperate and subtropical conditions climate, full sun, hardiness zones warm season annual (perennial possible in zones 9-11).
- What can I substitute for Mad Hatter Pepper?
- Capsi does not have that recorded yet.