Crop type: Chilli Peppers
Capsicum annuum var. annuum (Longum Group) ‘Loco’
Common name: Chilli pepper ‘Loco’
Crop slug: chilli-pepper
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Loco’ is a compact, well-branched British-bred chilli pepper that carries masses of small oval fruits. They develop through a striking sequence from green to purple, then orange and fiery red, often displaying several stages together above the foliage.
The moderately hot fruits measure around 20,000–30,000 Scoville Heat Units. Plants crop from July to October and combine useful harvests with an unusually colourful ornamental display. ‘Loco’ holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
The low, rounded habit suits patio pots, sunny windowsills and the front of a greenhouse bench. Allow enough width for its numerous short fruiting branches.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Loam and sand
- Moisture
- Well-drained or moist but well-drained
- Soil pH
- Acid or neutral
Use fertile free-draining compost and keep it evenly moist, never waterlogged. Begin regular high-potassium feeding when flowers set fruit to sustain the long, heavy crop.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H1C — suitable outdoors in summer at approximately 5–10°C, but not frost hardy
Provide maximum light and warmth under glass or on a sunny indoor sill. Outdoor plants need a hot sheltered site and should go outside only after all danger of frost has passed.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
Small pale flowers are followed by abundant upright oval peppers. Their progression through green, rich purple, orange and brilliant red makes a multicoloured canopy against the compact green foliage from midsummer well into autumn.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Solanaceae
- Group
- Longum Group
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Bushy and well-branched
- Potentially harmful
- Fruits and sap may irritate skin or eyes; wear gloves and protective equipment when handling
Genus
Capsicum contains annual and perennial plants cultivated for their glossy, many-seeded fruits, with simple alternate leaves and small tubular or bell-shaped flowers.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Sow indoors from late winter to mid-spring in seed compost with gentle bottom heat. When seedlings are about 2.5cm tall, transplant them carefully into individual pots and keep them warm and brightly lit. Pot on as roots fill each container.
Grow under cover, or harden plants off for a sheltered outdoor position after the last frost. Water consistently, ventilate in hot weather and feed after fruit set. Pick fruits at the colour and heat stage preferred; frequent harvesting encourages continued cropping through October.
Propagation
Propagate by seed.
Pruning
Pinch out growing tips while plants are young to create the characteristic compact, branching framework. Avoid heavy pruning once flowers form.
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids and glasshouse whitefly. Check tender shoots and leaf undersides and deal with small colonies promptly.
Diseases
May be susceptible to grey moulds. Maintain airflow, avoid wetting foliage late in the day and remove decaying leaves and fruit.