Chiltepin Pepper is grown for its fruit, ready to harvest about 120 days after planting. It's hardy across USDA zones 7 through 11, stands up to deer and handles dry spells once it's established. Its flowers are a modest draw for honeybees and native bees, even though the fruit is the prize. As a nightshade, give it a fresh bed each year — away from where its relatives just grew — so the soil-borne pests and diseases of the family never get a foothold.
Zones
7-11
pH Range
4.5-7
Sun
Full Sun
Days to Maturity
120
Score Chiltepin Pepper on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether chiltepin pepper actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score chiltepin pepper against your land's real conditions.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
See Chiltepin Pepper
What Chiltepin Pepper is
Chiltepin Pepper reaches around three feet at maturity. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Chiltepin Pepper
Chiltepin Pepper grows in USDA zones 7 through 11 and is ready to harvest about 120 days after planting. Chiltepin Pepper does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 4.5 to 7, on well-drained ground. It needs around 2,500 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 60 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
7-11
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
4.5 - 7
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Full Sun
plant_species_v5.csv
Drainage
well (dry spells)
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost Tolerance
46.4°F
plant_species_v5.csv
Days to Maturity
120 days
plant_species_v5.csv
GDD Required
2500+
plant_species_v5.csv
Mature Height
3 ft
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost-Free Days
60+
plant_species_v5.csv
Start the season right
Plant chiltepin pepper in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Chiltepin Pepper prefers pH 4.5 to 7 (USDA PLANTS Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at maturity
Chiltepin Pepper is ready about 120 days after planting (University Extension production guides). Pick when the fruit is full-colored and parts easily from the stem.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — chiltepin pepper isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Chiltepin Pepper offers low value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Chiltepin Pepper thrives
Chiltepin Pepper is hardy across USDA zones 7 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 7–11·Where Chiltepin Pepper growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Chiltepin Pepper can grow in these states:
See if Chiltepin Pepper will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether chiltepin pepper actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Chiltepin Pepper in my zone?
Chiltepin Pepper grows in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 11 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
How long does Chiltepin Pepper take to grow?
Chiltepin Pepper is ready to harvest about 120 days after planting (University Extension production guides). Your local frost dates and soil temperature move that window earlier or later.
When should you plant Chiltepin Pepper?
Most growers plant chiltepin pepper after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed, leaving enough of the season for its 60-day frost-free need. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Chiltepin Pepper need?
Chiltepin Pepper needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Chiltepin Pepper need?
Chiltepin Pepper prefers soil pH 4.5 to 7, on well-drained ground (USDA PLANTS Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Chiltepin Pepper attract pollinators?
Yes — chiltepin pepper's flowers are a modest nectar source for honeybees and native bees (Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership).
Is Chiltepin Pepper safe for pets?
Chiltepin Pepper is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data (ASPCA). Always supervise pets around new plantings.