RH Lilac
Also known as RH Lilac Variegated · RH Lilac Pepper
RH Lilac is a Capsicum annuum cultivar. Capsi’s sourced range is 10,000–50,000 SHU (Vendor Claim). Flavor is floral, subtly sweet, peppery. Used for edible ornamental garnish, fresh with seafood, poultry, and roasted vegetables, hot sauces and marinades, drying and pickling. Heat is a range, not a single marketing number.
An ornamental Capsicum annuum with white-green-purple variegated leaves, purple-lined flowers, and small blocky pods that wear a lilac brushed-paint stripe before ripening red. Medium heat (about 10,000–30,000 SHU) with a floral, subtly sweet flavor.
Flavor & Use
Subtle sweetness and distinct floral notes with a mild peppery bite rather than a lingering burn.
Culinary
About
RH Lilac is a compact ornamental Capsicum annuum grown first for the plant and only second for the kitchen. Foliage is splashed white, green, and purple; stems often run dark; flowers are white to pale lilac with purple lines. Small blocky-to-slightly-lobed pods start green, pick up a lilac or purple brushed-paint stripe, and finish red. Heat is medium — catalogs place it between 10,000 and 30,000 Scoville units — with a floral, gently sweet bite rather than a long burn. Plants typically reach 60–90 cm in about 90 days from transplant, take full sun and even moisture, and stay productive in a large container. Do not confuse it with Lilac Bell, a sweet purple-stage bell pepper with no heat.
Backstory
RH Lilac circulates in the specialty chile-seed trade as an ornamental selection whose breeder and place of origin are unpublished; catalogs simply list origin as unknown, and the RH prefix has never been tied to a named person or farm. It is not the sweet F1 Lilac Bell sold by Reimer and others, and it is not a documented USDA ornamental release such as Purple Rain. Growers keep it for the white-variegated foliage and the lilac brushed-paint pods as much as for the medium heat.
Appearance
Growing
Heritage
Nothing reputable documents a pedigree for this pepper.
Sources
Heat figures in Capsi are tied to a source and a trust tier. How we verify heat
- 15,000–30,000 SHU · Vendor Claim(2022) Red Dragon Seeds
- 10,000–20,000 SHU · Vendor Claim(2025) Rebec Valley Farm
- 50,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimHydroponika Bez Ogródek
- 20,000 SHU · Vendor ClaimChilli Brothers
- US seed listing: C. annuum, 10,000–20,000 SHU, 90 days, 2–3 ft, origin unknown, floral flavor, pods mature red.rebecvalleyfarm.com
- Texas seed listing describing variegated plants and slightly variegated pods with purple flowers.texashotpeppers.net
- UK farm-grown seed listing: brushed-paint pods, purple-lined flowers, white-green-purple foliage, 15,000–30,000 SHU.reddragonseeds.co.uk
- North American seed listing confirming the ornamental brushed-paint look, purple-accented flowers, and variegated foliage.peppermerchant.net
- B&Q retail page for Red Dragon seed: 15,000–30,000 SHU, ~100 cm height, fertile neutral soil, do not overwater.diy.com
- Brazilian grower listing: variegated foliage, pods green → purple/lilac → intense red, ~20,000 SHU, edible in sauces and pickles.chillibrothers.com.br
Last updated 14 Sep 2026 at 19:24
FAQ
- How hot is RH Lilac?
- Capsi’s sourced range is 10,000–50,000 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 RH Lilac taste like?
- Subtle sweetness and distinct floral notes with a mild peppery bite rather than a lingering burn.
- How do I grow RH Lilac?
- RH Lilac: about 90 days to maturity, subtropical climate, full sun, hardiness zones 9-11.
- What can I substitute for RH Lilac?
- Capsi does not have that recorded yet.