Rocoto Manzano Chilli

Capsicum pubescens (nightshade)

Also known as: Rocoto, Locoto, Manzano Pepper, Apple Chilli, Tree Chilli

A remarkable Andean chilli from a different species altogether to most garden chillies — thick-walled, juicy fruit shaped like small apples or pears, with a distinctive fruity flavour and crunchy, almost tomato-like flesh. Unlike its annual cousins, Rocoto Manzano is a true cool-climate perennial with soft, hairy leaves and violet flowers, able to shrub up and crop for years where conditions allow, and tolerant of a light frost that would finish off other chillies. Domesticated by the Incas thousands of years ago high in the Andes, it remains a staple of South American cooking, especially stuffed and baked. Hot heat of around 30,000–100,000 Scoville Heat Units.

Days to harvest 100-120 days
Fruit size 3–7cm, apple/pear-shaped, thick-walled
Sowing depth 5mm
Germination 4–6 weeks at 20–25°C (slower and cooler than standard chillies)
Spacing 60–90cm apart
Aspect Full sun to part shade, well-drained soil
Frost tolerance Cold-tolerant for a chilli — can handle a light frost once established

Growing notes

Choose a spot with good sun but shelter from harsh extremes — this species prefers cooler night temperatures for good flowering and fruit set, unlike heat-loving annual chillies.

Soil preparation: Rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter worked in.

Support: Established plants can become shrubby and heavy — a sturdy stake or light frame helps in exposed positions.

Watering & feeding: Water consistently, especially through fruit set. Feed with a liquid fertiliser high in potassium once flowering begins.

Harvest: Pick fruit once fully coloured and firm. Fruit can be used fresh in salsas or stuffed and baked — a classic South American preparation.

Timing: Slow to mature — expect first harvest from around 100–120 days after transplanting. As a genuine perennial, the plant can be cut back and grown on for a bigger harvest the following season in frost-free or mild winter areas.

Key features

  • True perennial chilli — can crop for multiple seasons
  • Hot heat — 30,000–100,000 Scoville Heat Units
  • Small apple or pear-shaped fruit, thick-walled and juicy
  • Fruity, distinctive flavour unlike standard chillies
  • Cold-tolerant — handles a light frost

Short season tips

This is the slowest of the chillies to get going — sow on a heat mat but at a slightly cooler setting than standard capsicums or chillies, since Rocoto Manzano prefers 20–25°C rather than the high heat other varieties want. Expect germination to take 4–6 weeks, so start this one earliest of all your chilli sowings. Pot on into a 12x10cm pot from the outset rather than a standard tray cell, since the long growing cycle means it will outgrow a small pot before it's ready to plant out.

  • Spring
  • Summer
  • Fall

True perennial — can be grown on year after year in the right conditions

  • Basil (particularly good for capsicums and chillies) Marigolds Onion Carrots
  • Other nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes) Fennel

One of the oldest domesticated chilli species, grown high in the Andes since pre-Incan times and a favourite of the Inca themselves. Still a staple ingredient across Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Mexico, where it's often stuffed and baked as rocoto relleno. Its cooler-climate origins make it unusually cold-tolerant for a chilli, setting it apart from every other variety in the range.