Shu Variegated x Calico

Shu Variegated x Calico is a Capsicum annuum hybrid circulated by Matt's Peppers in the United States through the Matt's Laboratory seed packs. It combines Shu Variegated, an Asian variegated Thai-type annuum with upright pale fruit and white, green and yellow foliage, with Calico, a hot ornamental annuum known for variegated foliage and small dark ripening fruit. In the named F3 form shown publicly, the cross is presented as a highly ornamental plant with mint-green and white variegated foliage and pods that ripen from white to red, giving it a cleaner, brighter display than darker Calico selections while still keeping the compact ornamental-hot character of the parentage. The parent lines point to a small-fruited plant rather than a large pod type, with upright ornamental pods, strong variegation, and a container-friendly habit that suits collectors who grow peppers as much for foliage and fruit contrast as for heat. Its story is tied directly to Matt's ongoing breeding work with unusual variegated annuum lines, where rare foliage patterns, colour transitions, and visually striking pod forms are pushed into new combinations and then released in numbered laboratory packs for growers to explore.