Komodo Dragon

Komodo Dragon is an extremely hot chilli developed in the United Kingdom and first widely marketed through UK retail. It was introduced by grower Salvatore Genovese of Bedfordshire and promoted as one of the hottest commercially grown peppers in the UK.

Pods are typically about 4–5 cm long and 2.5–3 cm wide, with a wrinkled, puckered surface. Fruit ripen from green to bright red. The shape and texture resemble other superhot chinense types.

Plants are commonly reported around 60–70 cm tall under good growing conditions.

Heat levels are usually reported between 1,400,000 and 2,200,000 SHU depending on source and testing method. A working figure of 1,400,000 SHU reflects a commonly cited baseline figure used in retail marketing. Reported SHU values vary, and independent lab verification data is not widely published in formal agricultural records.

Flavour is often described as initially fruity before an intense delayed heat develops, though flavour descriptions are subjective and not formally measured.

Formal breeder documentation and parentage details are limited in publicly available agricultural records. The variety appears primarily in commercial retail and seed listings rather than older horticultural catalogues. Some online discussion questions the exact measured heat compared to marketing claims, indicating possible variability between batches or growing conditions.