Mattapeño x Hot Pops Yellow

Mattapeño x Hot Pops Yellow is a modern Capsicum annuum hobby hybrid derived from Mattapeño (a variegated jalapeño line developed by Matt Ohlendorf) crossed with the commercial ornamental Hot Pops Yellow pepper. In grower circulation the cross is primarily valued as an ornamental edible plant due to its visual variability and decorative growth.

Grower observations show strong variation between plants within the same generation. One F2 grower report noted that leaf variegation can range from heavily white-variegated foliage to plants that appear almost normal green, indicating significant genetic diversity within the cross.

A seed listing describing this cross reports that the plants are very productive and typically grow to about 60 cm tall. Pods are described as short and chunky with firm flesh and a strong flavour. The fruit start green when immature and ripen through orange tones before finishing red.

The name can cause some confusion. Despite “Yellow” appearing in the cross name, the ripe fruit shown in grower and seller photos are red. The Yellow reference comes from the Hot Pops Yellow parent line rather than the final colour expression of the hybrid itself.

Heat reporting is not based on laboratory testing. Descriptions of the cross itself usually call it mild. Hot Pops Yellow peppers are often described as medium hot in horticultural sources, while Mattapeño sits in the jalapeño heat range. Using a single-number estimate, 8000 SHU fits within the overlapping range between the two parent lines and aligns with how growers describe the pepper in practice.