Fortunately, there are many varieties and cultivars from these three species, in all colors, and in many shapes too! Attractive to the eye, and spicy and hot on the tongue. Let’s see some of the best!

1: ‘Black Hungarian’ Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum var annuum ‘Black Hungarian’)

As its name suggests, ‘Black Hungarian’ is really dark, very deep purple, or, as we call it, “gardening black”. The chili fruits grow pointing up, and they are conical in shape, so it adds a devilish look to your veggie garden, and a spicy addition to your plates.  They are about 3 inches long (roughly 8.0 cm) and mild to medium heat.

2: ‘Aji Fantasy’ Chili Pepper (Capsicum baccatum ‘Aji Fantasy’)

On to a totally different variety, a cultivar of Capsicum baccatum, ‘Aji Fantasy’ is super productive and it gives you really weird looking chili peppers… They look a bit like bells, starting with a cupped top, then opening at the bottom… They are pale green in color, but despite its innocent look, it is a bit hotter than ‘Black Hungarian’.

3: ‘NuMex Orange Spice’ Jalapeno Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum ‘NuMex Orange Spice’)

‘NuMex Orange Spice’ is a semi-compact Jalapeno shaped chili pepper (about 4 to 5 inches long, or 10 to 12.5 cm), with fruits pointing up like little flames from the branches. As you would expect, it is orange in shade, not particularly bright, but quite attractive to look at. But despite its fiery look, it is quite mild.

4: ‘Korean Red’ Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum ‘Korean Red’)

Classic looking ‘Korean Red’ will give you the first chili peppers after about 75 days from planting, and they really look the part! Long and narrow, like little horns, you may confuse them for little flames, though they hang down from the branches. The shiny scarlet fruits are small, only about 2 inches long (5.0 cm) but what they lack in size, they make up for in personality and spiciness.

5: ‘Anheim’ Chili Pepper (Capsicum baccatum ‘Anheim’)

With its rich green chilis, shiny and glossy, ‘Anheim’ looks quite fresh and innocuous indeed, and in fact, it is only very mildly spicy, with fruits that reach 8 inches long (20 cm), with the traditional long and pointed shape. This is a real classic, an heirloom variety introduced back in 1913, and it is very popular in states like California, maybe thanks to its sweet flavor, and abundant harvest.

6: Manzano Chili Pepper (Capsicum pubescens)

However, if you want real heat in a cold climate, you need to turn to ‘Anaheim’’s “mother” – the natural species Capsicum pubescens, a.k.a., Manzano chili pepper!  Yes, because it can reach a whopping 250,000 points on the Scoville Scale, which is like having fire in your mouth. Despite this, the round fruits look quite innocuous, at least for their shape, like short bell peppers, and size, only 2 inches across (5.0 cm). However, they take their time to ripen, up to 120 days… In the end, they need to absorb lots of sunshine to get that spicy!

7: Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum frutescens)

Here’s a very popular species of chili you can grow in fairly cool climates, Cayenne pepper. With its classical pointed shape, often bending like a hook, and ripening (over 70 to 100 days) from bright green to fiery red, it is a real classic in vegetable gardens and many dishes. The fruits are 4 to 10 inches long (10 to 25 cm), and very abundant indeed on the plants. And it can get quite spicy indeed, up to 50,000 units on the Scoville Scale.

8: ‘BulgarianCarrot’ Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum ‘BulgarianCarrot’)

Guess what? The fruits of this Cpasicum annuum cultivar look like Bugs Bunny’s favorite food, and that’s why it goes by the name of ‘Bulgarian Carrot’. Having said this, I’m not sure rabbits could stand its heat, as it reaches 30,000 Scoville units in the right conditions. Its chili peppers are long and narrow (3 to 4 inches, or 7.5 to 10 cm) but with a soft tip, and, of course, bright orange in color.

9: ‘Jimmy Nardello’ Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum ‘Jimmy Nardello’)

Bred in the Basilicata region of Italy (famous for basil, of course), ‘Jimmy Nardello’ is another classic cultivar of Capsicum annuum, which offers you a very traditional chili pepper look, with long and hooked fruits that reach 5 to 8 inches (12.5 to 20 cm) but they are very thin and pointed. They ripen in 80 to 90’ days and, in the meantime, they change from green to yellow, orange and then red, darkening to almost purple, on a damson to ruby shade.

10: ‘Bird’s Eye’ Thai Pepper (Capsicum annuum ‘Bird’s Eye’)

But we want to close our selection with a fiery end, and another classic: ‘Bird’s Eye’ Thai pepper, a chili bred from Capsicum annuum, which reaches 100,000 units on the Scoville Scale… The upward pointing fruits are conical and they ripen over 60 to 90 days, depending on the climate, and they start off green, then they turn yellow, then orange and red, to a very deep shade, like little flames on the green leaves. And, like many spicy varieties, they are quite tiny, only up to 2 inches long (5.0 cm)