Rob's Folly

Rob's Folly is a modern American Capsicum chinense hybrid discovered by Rob Coleman of 7 Pot Club in Minneapolis. Current exact-name seed listings describe it as an accidental cross that appeared when Coleman grew seeds from a Mata Frade plant. The original Mata Frade parent is described in the discovery account as having dark foliage and small dark purple round pods that ripen red, while the new plant came out green and produced longer, thicker yellow fruit.

Its defining visual trait is the pod shape. Live exact-name listings describe the fruit as spiral or lantern shaped, with a form repeatedly compared to the Scotch Bonnet family rather than a smooth straight pod type. The mature colour is yellow, and the line is valued as much for its unusual look as for its eating quality.

In flavour and heat, Rob's Folly is consistently presented as sitting around habanero level, with fruity flavour and strong but not overwhelming pungency. One live seller gives a range of 100,000 to 300,000 SHU, while other exact-name listings keep the description at habanero-level heat with excellent flavour. In current circulation it is treated as a useful culinary pepper for sauces, salsas, marinades, chutneys, and powder as well as a collector variety tied closely to Rob Coleman and the 7 Pot Club growing scene.