Variety field guide
What to expect from Mulato Isleño Pepper Seeds
Mulato Isleño pepper seeds produce brown hot chile pepper fruit about 6 x 3 in on upright, erect plants reaching 31–36 in; maturity is 90-99 Days.
Open the complete descriptionHide the complete descriptionVariety traits, flavor, garden use, and the complete description
Mulato Isleño pepper seeds grow into upright, erect plants reaching 31–36 in, bearing brown fruit about 6 x 3 in. Heat category: Hot. It is especially suited to roasting, cooking, drying, mature brown fruit, and open-pollinated seed saving with isolation. Maturity is 90-99 Days.
Minimum seeds per packet: 15 seeds.
About Mulato Isleño
Mulato Isleño is a hot chile pepper grown as Capsicum annuum L. Plants have an upright, erect habit and reach 31–36 in; support is listed as stake. The principal mature or market color is Brown, with fruit described as about 6 x 3 in. Reproductive classification: Open-Pollinated (OP). Maturity: 90-99 Days. Names associated with this variety include Mulato Pepper, Pepper Seeds - Hot Pepper - Mulato Isleño.
- Scientific name:Capsicum annuum L.
- Life cycle:Annual
- Planting season:Spring
- Growth habit:Upright/Erect
- Plant height:31–36 in
- Sunlight:Full sun
- Seed depth:1/4 in
- Germination:7–14 Days at 75–90 °F
- Spacing:18 in between plants; 24 in between rows
- Soil:Loamy; pH 6.0–6.5
- Water:Moderate
- Support:Stake
- Reproductive type:Open-Pollinated (OP)
- Fruit:Brown; About 6 x 3 in
- Heat:Hot; 500-2,000 SHU
History and seedkeeping context
Cornell documents Mulato Isleno as an ancho-type pepper with broad 6-by-3-inch fruit that mature from dark green to rich chocolate brown. The North American cultivar archive records Isleno as an open-pollinated mulato type with plants around 750 mm tall and resistance to potato virus Y and tobacco etch virus. Chocolate describes mature fruit color, not a guaranteed chocolate flavor.
The disease statement is limited to potato virus Y and tobacco etch virus, and the page does not broaden it into general resistance. The available sources do not establish a named person’s tribal identity. Cornell lists Mulato Isleno at 76 days, while the North American archive lists the corresponding Isleno mulato record at 80 days.
Both values fit the 70–89 Days category.
Fruit, flavor, and kitchen use
Use green fruit roasted or stuffed, or allow them to mature brown for sauces, moles, stews, marinades, and drying. Toast dried pods carefully to develop aroma without burning them. Moderately pungent mulato/ancho type according to the cultivar archive; brown describes mature fruit color, not a chocolate flavor claim. Pungency varies with genetics, temperature, water stress, fruit position, and ripeness; any heat figure is a range, not a promise for every pod. Mulato Isleño is especially useful for roasting, cooking, drying, mature brown fruit, and open-pollinated seed saving with isolation. Flavor and eating quality are described as moderately pungent mulato/ancho type according to the cultivar archive; brown describes mature fruit color, not a chocolate flavor claim. Pungency varies with genetics, temperature, water stress, fruit position, and ripeness; any heat figure is a. Heat classification: Hot; listed range: 500-2,000 SHU. Pungency can shift with genetics, weather, water stress, and ripeness.
How to grow Mulato Isleño
Start Mulato Isleño indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before the last expected frost. Sow 1/4 in deep in a warm, evenly moist seed-starting mix; expect 7–14 Days near 75–90 °F. Provide strong light as soon as seedlings emerge, pot up before roots become crowded, and harden plants gradually before transplanting after nights are reliably warm.
Plant in full sun with loamy soil near pH 6.0–6.5. Space plants 18 in apart and rows 24 in apart. Maintain moderate moisture, mulch after the soil warms, and avoid excessive nitrogen. Install stake early where the upright, erect plant or fruit load warrants it. Mature height is 31–36 in.
Season care
• Warmth matters most during germination; keep Mulato Isleño seed warm without leaving the medium saturated. • Harden seedlings gradually and wait for warm nights before transplanting, because cold soil and wind can stall peppers for weeks. • Install stake before branches carry a heavy crop, and keep moisture even while fruit is setting. • Harvest at the color stage suited to the recipe, but leave fruit fully mature on selected plants when saving seed. • Use 90-99 Days as a planning range rather than a guaranteed calendar date; weather and transplant stress can shift first harvest.
Harvest and maturity
90-99 Days from transplant to first representative harvest; the same value is used in every description. Peppers can often be used at an immature green or transitional color, but fully ripe color is required for mature seed.
Saving seed
Peppers are largely self-pollinating but insect movement can produce crosses. To save Mulato Isleño true to type, grow several healthy representative plants, isolate them from compatible pepper varieties or use blossom bags or cages, and remove clear off-types before flowering. Allow selected fruit to reach full biological color, handle hot fruit with gloves, remove the seed, dry it in a thin labeled layer until fully hard and dry, then store it cool, dark, and dry. Keep the harvest year, source, isolation method, and selection notes with the lot.
Common questions
When is Mulato Isleño ready?
Plan around 90-99 Days. The listed range is a planning guide, and weather, transplant stress, and harvest stage can shift the actual date.
How long does germination take?
Expect 7–14 Days near 75–90 °F. Cooler media, excess water, old seed, or uneven moisture can delay emergence.
How large does it grow?
Expect about 31–36 in. Growth habit: Upright/Erect. Support: Stake.
How is it used?
Roasting, cooking, drying, mature brown fruit, and open-pollinated seed saving with isolation
Can I save seed?
Peppers are largely self-pollinating but insect movement can produce crosses.
