Goat’s Weed

Goat’s Weed — also commonly called Black Cobra Pepper — is a Capsicum annuum chili noted for its striking visual traits and moderate heat. The peppers grow upright and ripen through a distinctive colour progression from green to black to bright red. Plants and fruits are covered in fine silvery hairs on stems and leaves, a feature unusual within Capsicum annuum and more often seen in C. pubescens, making this variety visually unique. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

Heat is generally reported around 20000–40000 SHU, placing it hotter than many common mild peppers but far below habanero levels; a central estimate of 30000 SHU is typical in heat guides. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

The pods are usually about ~7.5 cm (3 in) long, slender, and point upwards, and the plant produces abundant fruit that can present multiple colours at once due to different ripening stages on the same plant. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Grower and seed seller descriptions emphasise both ornamental appeal and edible use. While ornamental peppers are often grown primarily for appearance, Black Cobra/Goat’s Weed peppers have enough heat and flesh to be used in sauces and dried chile powders. Some descriptions note a bitter flavour when young that transitions to a straightforward pepper heat as fruit mature, though taste nuances vary with ripeness. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

The variety is generally listed as originating from Venezuela, though formal historical documentation detailing its first discovery, named origin or cultural history is limited; most information comes from seed catalogues and grower sources rather than peer-reviewed horticultural records. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

There is some ambiguity over whether all plants sold under these common names represent a single stable landrace or small regional variants, and the interpretation of “medium heat” can vary between vendors and growers.