Carolina Reaper vs Trinidad Scorpion
Carolina Reaper is the hotter pepper. It reaches 2,200,000 SHU; Trinidad Scorpion tops out at 1,200,000 SHU, roughly 1.8 times the heat.
Both are C. chinense.
Which one do you have? Check it with the pepper identifier.
| Carolina Reaper | Trinidad Scorpion | |
|---|---|---|
| Scoville Heat Units | 1,641,183 to 2,200,000 SHU | 500,000 to 1,200,000 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 | 30 to 36 inches |
| Days to harvest | Very Late 90-120 | Very Late 90-120 |
| Flowers | Solid white/cream | Solid white/cream |
| Region of origin | United States | Trinidad & Tobago |
| Credited to | Ed Currie (PuckerButt Pepper Company) | Landrace - Trinidad & Tobago |
| 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 | Scorpion; TS; Trinidad Scorpion Red |
The Trinidad Scorpion is a landrace and the Carolina Reaper is a product. The Scorpion comes from Trinidad and Tobago. The Reaper came out of Ed Currie's PuckerButt Pepper Company in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The company lists Guinness records for 2013 and 2017. The parentage, a very hot habanero from Saint Vincent crossed with a Naga type, rests on the breeder's own account.
Heat still moves with the season. The figures above are what each page lists.
As food they behave alike, which is to say barely. Both are C. chinense with a fruity opening second, the Reaper often described as sweet and faintly cinnamon, before a burn that lasts. Both have the tail. Neither is a kitchen pepper in any ordinary sense. The Scorpion is the pepper of Trinidad's pepper-sauce tradition and a genetic reservoir that breeders keep returning to. The Reaper is a branded cultivar for the superhot trade, sold into extract-style sauces, powders and eating contests. What each is for is written on the label.
Where do Carolina Reaper and Trinidad 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.