Fox Purple Naga Ruby

Fox Purple Naga Ruby is a modern Portuguese Capsicum chinense hybrid created by Fox Peppers. It is a breeder-made superhot line rather than an old regional heirloom, and by 2024 it was already in public circulation under the Fox Purple Naga Ruby name. In grower circles it is known for pairing very dark ornamental foliage with serious superhot heat and a distinctive ruby-red ripe finish, which gives it a strong visual identity among newer dark-leaved pepper lines.

The plant is described as vigorous, highly productive, and usually over 91.5 cm tall, with foliage so dark that sellers describe it as deep purple-black or almost black. Pods are consistently described as heavily textured superhot fruit about 7.5 cm long, often gnarly and sometimes ending in a pointed or stinger-like tail. The fruit begins bright to dark purple, passes through a darker green stage, and finishes ruby red with retained dark blush, creating a strong contrast against the near-black foliage.

Published heat descriptions place it firmly in the superhot class, commonly around 800000 to 1200000 SHU. Seller and grower descriptions also repeatedly note that it has strong flavour as well as heat, with fruity, earthy, slightly sweet, and sometimes smoky notes. In practical use it is promoted for hot sauce, powders, dehydrating, fermentation, and fresh cooking, but its dark foliage and unusual colour transition are just as central to its reputation as its pungency.