Eden Project’s Red-Hot Chilli Display: A Must-See This Autumn

Over 300 plants, rare varieties, and a striking array of colours await visitors at Cornwall’s famed Eden Project.

The Eden Project’s Mediterranean Biome has turned up the heat with its largest chilli display to date, showcasing more than 300 plants and 34 different cultivars. This stunning exhibit includes everything from the decorative Tinkerbell and exotic Medusa to the fiercely hot Carolina Reaper, offering visitors a vibrant and educational experience.

A Diverse Display of Chilli Varieties

Spanning all five major species of cultivated chillies—Capsicum annuum, C. chinense, C. baccatum, C. frutescens, and C. pubescens—the exhibit bursts with chillies of various shapes, sizes, and colours. Visitors will spot fruits in striking hues of purple, brown, black, orange, yellow, and green, with some cultivars boasting unique striped patterns and varicoloured leaves.

Among the notable chillies is Tinkerbell, distinguished by its wing-shaped fruit with heat concentrated solely in the core, while the outer part remains mild. Medusa, named after the mythical Gorgon, showcases long, twisted, multi-coloured fruits that stand upright and produce a mild heat. Meanwhile, the renowned Carolina Reaper, although no longer the world’s hottest chilli, packs an impressive 2.2 million units on the Scoville heat scale.

Another standout is the Rocoto Long, known for its conical shape, floral aroma, and distinctive black seeds. The Sugar Rush Peach Stripey, with its fruity flavour and eye-catching peach and red-striped fruit, and the deep purple-leafed Bolivian Rainbow, which ripens from purple to red through a range of colours, add to the visual feast.

📷Photographs by Emily Whitfield-Wicks Med biome. Red Hot Chilli Peppers. One of the Horts team, Hannah Esterhuizen.

A Strong Year for Cultivation

Despite a wet, overcast summer, the indoor light levels have provided optimal growth conditions, resulting in a robust chilli display. Six cultivars—Pimento, Banana Sweet, Tennessee Cheese, Rocoto Yellow, Aji Panca, and Alma Paprika—originated from seeds the Eden Project acquired in 1999. Initially tested for germination, these plants have thrived this year, contributing to the largest and most impressive display yet.

The plants range from small varieties suitable for windowsill cultivation to others growing as large as small trees, with heat levels spanning from zero up to a staggering 2.2 million on the Scoville scale—hotter than some types of pepper spray.

More to Explore at the Eden Project

In addition to the chilli exhibit, the Mediterranean Biome features an abundant citrus display with satsumas, clementines, navel, and blood oranges ripening beautifully. This citrus collection promises to delight visitors in the weeks to come.

Outside, the Eden Project’s Outdoor Gardens are resplendent with autumn colours, as the leaves of the Liquidambar styraciflua (sweet gum) turn vivid shades of red and orange, adding drama to the landscape.

Visitors can also explore the Rainforest Biome, which now houses the Tahina spectabilis, an extremely rare species of palm discovered only in 2006 and listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. This unique plant can be seen in the Tropical Islands area of the Biome, further enriching the Eden Project’s diverse botanical offerings.

Catherine Cutler, interim head of horticulture, shared: “We are delighted to be able to showcase so many different types of chilli in our exhibit this year and to educate our visitors about the fascinating and unique attributes each cultivar possess. Autumn is a fantastic time to enjoy our entire site, with the relaxing Outdoor Gardens rich with the colours of the season, many intriguing plants growing in our Mediterranean Biome and the recent exciting addition of the Tahina spectabilis to our Rainforest Biome. It’s great to see our visitors continue to engage with our wonderful living exhibits and the important stories they tell.”

For more details on what to see and do at the Eden Project and to pre-book tickets for the best price, visit www.edenproject.com.