Collector Pepper
Grow Goat Weed for red peppers to dry into flakes, grind into seasoning or add a measured kick to sauces. Upright pods and softly hairy foliage make this Capsicum annuum an eye-catching addition to a kitchen garden.
CASA VERDE · HEAT PROFILE
Medium
- Sweet
- Mild
- Medium — this variety
- Hot
- Super hot
Understanding the heat
A diamond marks the midpoint of a listed range, or the listed value when only one number is given. An arrow marks a stated limit. These are variety guides, not measurements of our seed lot. This guide uses unequal numerical bands: sweet 0; mild up to 10,000; medium 10,000–50,000; hot 50,000–800,000; super hot from 800,000 SHU (display capped at 3 million). Heat varies between fruits and with growing conditions.
Shop all pepper seeds in Canada
- Heat
- 20000–40000 SHU
- Origin
- Venezuela
CASA VERDE · GROWER’S NOTES
Get to know your pepper.
Medium heat · drying and sauces
Goat Weed pepper seeds
Grow Goat Weed for red peppers to dry into flakes, grind into seasoning or add a measured kick to sauces. Upright pods and softly hairy foliage make this Capsicum annuum an eye-catching addition to a kitchen garden.
At a glance
Species
Capsicum annuum
Heat guide
Medium · 20,000–40,000 SHU estimate
Ripe fruit
Slender, upright red pods
Kitchen uses
Dried flakes, powder and sauces
Why grow it?
Choose Goat Weed for a pepper that brings both visual interest and useful heat. Its pods darken before ripening red, while fine hairs give the foliage a distinctive texture. Dry a portion of the ripe harvest for seasoning that is easy to add a pinch at a time.
In the kitchen
- Dried flakes: Dry ripe pods thoroughly, then crush them for beans, soups or roasted vegetables.
- Pepper powder: Grind fully dried peppers and add a little to a spice blend.
- Sauces: Blend a small amount with your preferred sauce ingredients, then adjust the quantity to taste.
- Handling: Wear gloves when cutting hot peppers and avoid touching your eyes.
Growing and harvesting
- Start indoors: Give seedlings warmth and bright light before the outdoor growing season.
- Transplant: Harden plants off gradually and wait until frost risk has passed and the soil is warm.
- Growing space: Choose a sunny position with good drainage. Support branches if needed as fruit develops.
- Harvest: Pick red pods for ripe fruit. Growth, yield and ripening time depend on conditions; a fixed harvest date is not verified for this seed lot.
Explore by culinary use
Pepper seeds CanadaHot sauce pepper seedsQuestions about Goat Weed
How hot is it?
The published 20,000–40,000 SHU range falls in Casa Verde’s Medium band. It is a variety reference, not a laboratory measurement of our seed lot. Medium still means noticeable heat; start with a small amount.
Is it only ornamental?
No. The peppers can be used in cooking, especially dried flakes, powder and sauces.
Where does the variety come from?
Variety references commonly associate Goat Weed with Venezuela. That reported history does not verify the origin of this seed lot.
Can I grow it in Canada?
Start indoors and plan around your local frost dates. A warm, sunny growing period helps peppers develop and ripen; no harvest size is guaranteed.
Seed note: plant habit, fruit appearance and heat can vary. Follow the packet instructions and adjust growing plans to your local conditions.
Cook your harvest
Use your harvest in these recipes. Check the variety notes and substitutions in each recipe.
Start indoors 8–10 weeks before last frost. Germinate at 26–30 °C on a heat mat; peppers stall below 22 °C. Pot up to 10–15 cm before hardening off outside after nights stay above 12 °C.
Feed balanced through bloom, then bump potassium for fruiting. Stake taller varieties. More detail in our full Canadian growing guide.
Match the pepper to the technique: thin-walled varieties blister fast in a hot pan; thick-walled ones roast or stuff beautifully; fruit-forward ones make balanced sauces and pickles. The variety's flavour profile is your shortcut — see Choosing the right pepper for a use-case guide.
