The best chillies to grow in New Zealand

The best chillies to grow in New Zealand depend on what you want out of them. If you're after a reliable crop for cooking, quick-maturing varieties like jalapeño, cayenne and serrano are hard to beat. If you're chasing heat, the superhots will grow here too, they just need an earlier start and a longer season. The right pick is the one that matches your patience, your climate and how much heat you actually want to eat.

Best for beginners and everyday cooking

If this is your first go, or you just want a dependable feed of chillies, start at the reliable end.

• Jalapeño. Medium heat, quick, and endlessly useful in the kitchen. The workhorse of the chilli world and a great first grow.
• Cayenne. Hot, prolific, and dries brilliantly for flakes and powder. Long thin pods on a productive plant.
• Serrano. Similar heat to a jalapeño but a bit sharper, great fresh in salsas.

These are annual-type chillies that mature relatively fast, so they suit New Zealand's growing season well and won't leave you waiting all the way to late autumn for a harvest.

Best for flavour, not just heat

Heat isn't everything. Some of the best eating chillies sit in the mild to medium range, where the flavour comes through instead of just the burn. Milder cooking types are worth a spot if you want something the whole household can enjoy, and they add flavour to a dish without reaching for the salt.

Best for the heat-seekers

If you're growing for the thrill, the Super Hot end is where it's at. Habaneros bring serious heat with a fruity flavour behind it, and the true superhots like Carolina Reaper, scorpions and ghost chillies take things as far as they go.

Fair warning for New Zealand growers: these need the longest season of the lot. Sow them earliest, in the middle of winter, give them warmth and patience, and you'll be rewarded with pods worth the wait. Leave them too late and you'll be watching green pods hoping for one more warm week.

How to choose

Short on time or new to it? Go for the fast, reliable varieties and enjoy a proper crop. Happy to plan ahead and chase the heat? Start superhots early and commit to the long game. Most growers end up with a bit of both, something dependable for the kitchen and one or two show-offs for the challenge.

Have a browse through the range and pick what suits your patience and your palate.