Carolina Reaper vs Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
Carolina Reaper is the hotter pepper. It reaches 2,200,000 SHU; Trinidad Moruga Scorpion tops out at 1,400,000 SHU, roughly 1.6 times the heat.
Both are C. chinense.
Which one do you have? Check it with the pepper identifier.
| Carolina Reaper | Trinidad Moruga Scorpion | |
|---|---|---|
| Scoville Heat Units | 1,641,183 to 2,200,000 SHU | 500,000 to 1,400,000 SHU |
| Heat level | Superhot (1,000,000+ SHU) | Superhot (1,000,000+ SHU) |
| Species | C. chinense | C. chinense |
| Ripe pod color | Red | Red |
| Immature color | Green | Green |
| Pod shape | Habanero-type | Habanero-type |
| Pod length | 1 to 2 inches | 1 to 2 inches |
| Flesh | Thin flesh | Thin flesh |
| Pod orientation | Pendant pods | Pendant pods |
| Plant height | 36 to 42 inches | 36 to 42 inches |
| Days to harvest | Very Late 90-120 | Extremely Late 120+ |
| Flowers | Solid white/cream | Solid white/cream |
| Region of origin | United States | Trinidad & Tobago |
| Credited to | Ed Currie (PuckerButt Pepper Company) | Landrace — Trinidad — Moruga district landrace |
| Also known as | CR; HP22B; HP22BNH; Reaper; Carolina Reaper Select; CR Select; Reaper Select; Select Reaper; Red Carolina Reaper; Carolina Reaper Red; HP22B pepper; Carolina Reaper HP22B; CR HP22B; HP22B Reaper; Reaper HP22B; 7-Pot Carolina Reaper Red; 7 Pot Carolina Reaper Red Long | Moruga; Moruga Scorpion; Trinidad Moruga; TS Moruga; Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Red; Trinidad Moruga Scorpion CARDI; Moruga Scorpion CARDI; Moruga RRC-420 Trinidad Moruga Scorpion; Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Red; Moruga Scorpion Red; Moruga RRC-420 Moruga Scorpion |
One of these is a landrace and the other is a product. The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion comes from the Moruga district on Trinidad's south coast, one of several superhot landraces from that island alongside the Trinidad Scorpion, the 7 Pot Jonah and the Douglah. The Carolina Reaper came out of Ed Currie's breeding program at PuckerButt in South Carolina. Guinness World Records, announcing the Reaper's record on November 19, 2013, described it as a cross between a sweet habanero and a Naga Viper that took ten years to stabilize. Before it had a name it was a plot number, HP22B.
The Reaper, by its breeder's account, has a Naga on one side and a Caribbean habanero on the other.
In the mouth they diverge more than the numbers suggest. The Moruga opens with a fruity, almost floral sweetness and the burn arrives late and keeps building. The Reaper hits faster. PuckerButt describes sweet, fruity undertones with hints of cinnamon and chocolate before the pain. Both are red, wrinkled, golf-ball pods, which is why seed packets get mixed up. The Reaper carries a long sickle tail. The Moruga is rounder with a small nub of a tip. Both end up in extract-style sauces, dried powders and eating contests, and neither belongs in a weeknight salsa. Do not confuse the Moruga with the Sweet Moruga, which is nearly heatless.
Where do Carolina Reaper and Trinidad Moruga Scorpion come from?
Carolina Reaper is recorded as originating in the United States.
All C. chinense varieties · All superhot peppers
All C. chinense varieties · All superhot peppers
Figures come from each variety's WikiPepper record. Last updated Oct 26, 2026.