Purple Reaper
Also known as Purple Carolina Reaper · Kenji Purple
Purple Reaper is a Capsicum chinense cultivar from Brazil. Capsi’s sourced range is 800,000–1,600,000 SHU (Vendor Claim). Flavor is fruity, floral, slightly bitter. Used for Hot sauce, chili powder, and dried flakes.. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.
Purple Reaper is a Brazilian Capsicum chinense grown for dark purple young pods and a wrinkled Reaper-like shape, often with a stinger tail. Ripe fruit finishes dark red.
About 45 times a Capsi Jalapeño (31,902 SHU typical).
Growing
~110 days to maturity
Fruit size
4–6 cm
Flavor & Use
Fruity first, then floral, with a slight bitterness under the heat.
Culinary
About
Young pods start nearly black or deep purple and pass through green-purple, sometimes orange, before they ripen dark red or brick. Skin is wrinkled and blistered. Walls are thin. Size is small, usually about 4 to 5 cm long. Flavor is fruity with a floral edge and a slight bitterness. The heat is superhot, so a little fruit goes a long way in sauce or powder. Plants are bushy, often 90 to 120 cm, with purple-tinged leaves in strong light. They need a long warm season and are best started indoors.
Backstory
The line came out of Brazil in the late 2010s and was circulating among seed traders by 2019. Some shops credit Rafael Kenji and an earlier packet name, Kenji Purple. Others say Carlos Jr. found it among Carolina Reaper plants and the Purple Reaper name stuck after growers pointed at the stinger pods. No breeder release has settled which account is right, and sellers still warn that shape and color wander.
Appearance
Growing
Heritage
ExploreParents
Sources
FAQ
- How hot is Purple Reaper?
- Capsi’s sourced range is 800,000–1,600,000 SHU (Vendor Claim). 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 Purple Reaper taste like?
- Fruity first, then floral, with a slight bitterness under the heat.
- How do I grow Purple Reaper?
- Purple Reaper: about 110 days to maturity, tropical climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.
- What can I substitute for Purple Reaper?
- Carolina Reaper