The Best Places To Buy Pepper Seeds Online
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For those of us who love to grow interesting pepper varieties, there are thankfully dozens of great online seed sellers. I love to grow a diverse range of peppers, from sweet to superhot, so we have bought seeds from countless retailers.
In this article, I’ll share our favorite places to buy pepper seeds online. Some offer a wide range of sweet and spicy peppers, while others have a more specialized selection. If a seed seller is in this article, it means we have personally bought from them and had a good experience.
IMPORTANT: As of September 8th, 2019, the US implemented a Federal Order that requires internationally sourced pepper seeds to be shipped with a Phytosanitary Certificate. This means there is a risk of your international seed order being confiscated at US borders (it has happened to us!).
1. Botanical Interests
Botanical Interests has some of the most unique and beautiful seed packet designs on the market. They are highly informative about planting instructions, and each comes with a custom, hand-drawn image of the pepper variety.
While the assortment of pepper varieties is limited, there is a healthy selection from sweet peppers all the way to the super-hot ghost pepper, which we highly recommend growing.
The filters allow you to narrow your search to just organic seeds, heirlooms, newly added varieties and more. Once you’re done shopping peppers, you can browse their extensive collection of various organic seeds, from huge pumpkins to juicy tomatoes.
2. RareSeeds
There are many things to love about Baker Creek Heirloom seeds. They have a free annual catalog with thousands of different seed varieties. This is great to leaf through in the winter when you are planning your outdoor garden. We always get some great new ideas on what to grow from the free booklet, pepper or otherwise.
RareSeeds’ all-new online interface is a step above many other online seed retailers. They are one of the modern leaders in the seed space and have an excellent variety of options.
You can filter your results by the color of the peppers as well as the heat level. With over 60 varieties of spicy peppers (and many non-spicy), you will find what you’re looking for.
Check out some of our favorite bizarre varieties of hot peppers here. We loved growing the Habanada (a Habanero pepper without any heat) and the Sugar Rush Peach Peppers from RareSeeds.
3. Bohica Pepper Hut
Bohica Pepper Hut was founded by a passionate hot pepper lover. Owner Jason Tate grows hundreds of varieties, and sells many superhot peppers. If you’re in the market for ghost, 7 pot, habanero, reapers, or other specialty superhot varieties, this is a shop to check out.
Another perk of Bohica Pepper Hut is that they sell fresh and dried pods. If you don’t have the time to grow your own, you can order a box of fresh, superhot peppers. This is, of course, seasonal, so be sure to check in regularly during the summer months.
*Save 20% on any order over $20 with code: PEPPERGEEK
4. New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University is known for cultivating and breeding peppers for decades. They have produced some of the unique colored jalapeno varieties like the pumpkin spice and lemon jalapenos.
The good news is that they sell seeds directly from their Chile Pepper Institute (CPI) website. The seeds are a bit pricier than other sites mentioned, but you know that the seeds are coming from an extremely reliable and well-respected source.
The NMSU website also has a great variety of chile pepper information from decades past. If you’d like to learn about the history of studies related to peppers, you can spend hours reading old newsletters from the CPI!
5. True Leaf Market
True Leaf Market has been selling pepper seeds (and many other plant varieties) since the 1970s. They started the brands Mountain Valley Seed and Handy Pantry and have been at it ever since.
Whether you’re in the market for hot peppers or common sweet peppers, True Leaf has a great variety. From ornamental pepper plants to scorpion peppers and everything in between.
They also only sell non-GMO seeds, keeping their certificate up to date each year. Get inspired by the massive seed catalogue and make your garden a masterpiece!
True Leaf Market also offers bulk or wholesale seeds for your store. They can supply a pre-populated rack full of seed packets and more! Check out the great wholesale options here.
6. White Hot Peppers
Talk about a huge collection of pepper seeds, White Hot Peppers currently has around 250 different varieties. I love browsing the WHP website each season to see what new, strange superhot varieties are available.
They also offer select isolated seeds, meaning you won’t have to worry about the possibility of cross pollination. Isolating plants takes more time and effort, so the seeds are usually a bit more expensive, and they sell out quicker.
Every time we have ordered from White Hot Peppers, we have received 1-2 packets of free seeds. The owner seems to cater each freebie to the buyer. When we bought a couple of white varieties, the freebies were other white types, etc. Very cool!
Lastly, this seller is US based, so shipping time is pretty speedy. We have ordered at least 3 times, and have waited no more than a week for our seeds to arrive.
7. Semillas La Palma
UPDATE: Semillas la Palma has resumed shipping to US-based customers!
Semillas La Palma has been an exotic seed producer since 2001 based out of the Canary Islands (off the coast of Morocco). They sell over 700 varieties of plants and claim to have the world’s largest variety of pepper seeds.
They are especially great if you are looking to grow superhot peppers or Capsicum pubescens varieties. There are lots of bizarre and unknown varieties available for purchase.
We have ordered from Semillas.de for several years now and received our seed order about 2 weeks after ordering online. If you live in Europe, you may receive your order sooner, but in the USA it will likely take a couple of weeks, so prepare for that!
Note: Semillas La Palma does not currently include a Phytosanitary Certificate with seed orders (as of January 2023).
If you are planning to start seeds indoors, place your order in December or early January to be ready for the growing season.
One drawback to Semillas La Palma is the online ordering interface – it’s definitely outdated. However, if you are looking for something truly unique, this site is the place to go.
8. SeedsNow
SeedsNow has a great catalog of seeds, ranging from spicy to mild and sweet peppers. They carry some unique varieties and pricing is very competitive. If you are looking for bulk seeds, this option will not suit your needs, but if you just need enough to plant your home garden, SeedsNow is great.
It is a nice middle ground between a huge selection and rare seed options. This is a great resource to visit on your pepper seed search, both for seeds and for gardening tips and guides.
We love their variety of organic seeds. They also have some useful tools available on the website, including a planting calendar and a grow zone lookup.
More Trusted Pepper Seed Suppliers
While the above sellers are great, we have also bought from several other suppliers with great results. Here are a few other places to browse when looking for pepper seeds online.
- Matt’s Peppers – For all things bizarre and special, browse Matt’s selection of seeds. Several ‘mutant’ pepper varieties and other oddities (Based in USA).
- Forgotten Heirlooms – Great selection of rare peppers and other veggies (Based in USA).
- ChilePlants.com – In business since 1997, this website offers seeds and a particular emphasis on live plants. They offer a stunningly wide selection of peppers!
- Fatalii Seeds – Excellent source of baccatum species peppers. Original creator of the Sugar Rush varieties. Great range of mild to superhot varieties (Based in Finland). *No US shipping
- Towns-End Chili and Spice – Great selection of rare superhots. Plants are non-isolated (Based in USA).
- ChilePlants.com – In business since 1997, this website offers seeds and a particular emphasis on live plants. They offer a stunningly wide selection of peppers!
- Etsy sellers – Be careful and read reviews. Etsy can be a great source for hard to find varieties from small sellers. Also a great place to buy live plants.
We hope this has led to down the right path toward your dream pepper garden! There are many other resources for getting pepper seeds online. We love trading seeds with friends or even purchasing less stable varieties on Etsy for experimental grows. Please, let us know your favorite place for buying pepper seeds online!
And let’s not forget our favorite method: saving your own pepper seeds!
Calvin
One of the original Pepper Geeks! When Calvin isn’t gardening or learning more about peppers and botany, he might be traveling new places or playing some music.
I’m looking for a small business in Southern California that specializes in rare hot peppers, especially from regions of Mexico. I ordered seeds from him a few years ago and they were great, but I lost the information. Anyone have some ideas on the name of such a company?
Thanks
Curious if you have a video on how to isolate seeds to prevent cross pollination
I always order my pepper seeds from MIGardener!! Outstanding qualitly, great germ. rates and very affordable pricing! I love supporting a small business.
Ordered this season @Fatalii awesome service, great variety and high germination rates!
SandiaSeed is great, I’ve grown a ton of their peppers and they always grow true and have great germination rates. I only wish I had a bigger garden to grow all of their 100+ peppers of the world!
Yep, they have a good selection of New Mexico varieties. Have had a bit of a mix-up with the scotch bonnets, but otherwise good service
NM state has good seeds, but stay on them if they “short” you in the quality, work study students š¤£, they will replace for free. NuMex Sandia Select, always get the Select variety are REALLY good favors with thick walls, rellenos!!
Jimmy Pickles has demonstrated poor practices – He has a tendency to be forgetful and is quick to blame customers for his mess-ups. Very awkward moments. Imagine being told that “I have wasted hours trying to find your package, I sent it, I have hundreds of orders a day, and my job is done”. Love Matts’s Peppers, Ohio Peppers, Patrick’s peppers, NMSU, WHP, and True Leaf!
Sadly, the Jimmy Pickles web site is lapsed as of Jan 2024. His seeds, while informally packaged, had great germination and were all true to form. He was based near Pittsburgh, PA.
Thank you for all this information, I will buy some new seed from a couple of this websites.
Hot dog! We can’t wait till next year
Do you know where I can purchase some what we call Italian Long Hots? I am from NJ originally, and they have them all over in the stores. I now live in Michigan and they are virtually non-existent. I ordered from
one company on line this past year, but their plants were mislabeled and I did not receive what was requested.
Thank you for your website and fantastic growing instructions! The peppers I did grow this past summer were bountiful thanks to your advice!
@Regina,
Could you describe the length, width, and heat level of Italian Long Hots? On some web sites they sound online like a Jimmy Nardello, which is a delicious mild Italian pepper, while in others they sound like a large Cayenne variant, which would be much hotter. I live closer to NJ than to MI but I’m not close enough to check myself!
One thing about NM State (Aggies), is if the package is a little sparse, just call and they will replace. Work study students ya knowš.
I would love to purchase some Hatch Pepper Seeds. Do you have any recommendations on a source to purchase? Have you grown some? Thank you for any help!
Chile Pepper Institute has several Hatch varieties, also Sandia seed sells them. We have grown and love the flavor of roasted hatch chile. Highly recommend! I enjoyed Big Jim and also Ms Junie for an extra hot type.
@Diane,
Joe E. Parker, Sandia Select, 6-4, and Lumbre for hot from NM state Chile Pepper Institute ( NM native).
I wish I had seen this list before ordering my seeds this year. It’s my first year gardening and I ordered all my seeds from Eden Brothers. Some have been fine, some less so. I had a package of purple bell that have turned out to be something entirely different… banana pepper I think. Super disappointing. Won’t order from them again, that’s for sure. I’m bookmarking this list for next season!!
Have you ever bought seeds from Pepper Joe’s? Just wondering about the quality. Thanks
We have not personally tried them, but have heard many negative reviews regarding the seed varieties not being as advertised. Can’t speak from personal experience though!
@Nathaniel, bad. Ordered 1 time 8 varieties. None sprouted. When In complained no satisfaction. Never bisit them again.
Any idea where I could get squash pepper seeds?
Any ideas of where to get kurtovska-kapija seeds in the US?
Where did you get the Cayennetta seeds from.?
Totally tomatoes
So glad to have this list!
Baker Creek used to be my go to but I’m trying to avoid them now because of some behavior I don’t agree with. Long story short they’ve dipped some toes in far right politics and that’s not my jam.
As always, great content!
I am having an issue if when to let go of pAst summers peppers. In Texas last summer, it was SO hot. It was over 100 most of the month of July and 105 for a week. Obviously, it didnāt cool off at night much. I am still harvesting and cultivating peppers. Everyone say just let them go. Suggestions? Thank you!
That sounds like a good strategy to me! They are perennial in their native climate, so if your weather has the plants producing peppers in December, then let that happen! 105 is definitely hot and most varieties won’t produce well under those conditions. It is common to see the plants perk up and begin fruiting after the mid-summer heat dies back.
@Lynda Green, I had the same problem. I did a little bit of research and ran into a sun blocker for gardens I gave it a try and it helped my garden produce again. I used a few fencing posts to hold the sun blocker had it about 6ft high.
@Lynda Green,
I had five reaper plants that yielded about 15 peppers last summer (DFW) before the heat and aphids took over. I decided to move them to the garage around October, provide lights, keep them alive, give them the soapy wash daily until the aphids were gone. They are thriving this year. I’ve already harvested over 100 peppers and have another 100 peppers currently getting close to being ready (as we once again start hitting the 100s). I could have let them go, as they didn’t look good last year. Instead, I’m harvesting peppers in April and May off beautiful fully mature plants.
@Denny Pentecost, that surely sounds like my problem down in Tampa, started plenty early, had a ok yield, but nothing on my super hots, heat came and has finally left and now my scorpions are producing.
I just recently bough a box of super hots from Bohica Pepper Hut and wow, now harvesting the seeds for Spring time
Do not overlook seed savers, which need serious support, e.g., Native Seed Search of Tucson, AZ.
Iāve been buying pepper (and other) seeds from MIGardner for a couple of years with great success. Will be trying Tobasco peppers this year!
@Trent, thank you for the tip! Adding them to my list š
I would like to know if there is a bell pepper in red, yellow and orange that grows to a height of about 6 feet tall for my greenhouse as I don’t have a lot of room.
Plants tend to grow taller when they have less lateral space. Most bells we’ve grown get to around 4′.
My 7-year old son and I enjoy gardening and growing different peppers…more for the fun and beauty of the fruit than for eating. (Example: Jalapenos, Habaneros, Ghost Peppers, Carolina Reapers). How far apart should one spread different varieties of pepper plants if growing in the same garden..to avoid cross-pollination? Is it even possible with bees flying throughout the garden?
If the plants cross-pollinate…Is the emerging pepper affected or it’s developing seeds? ..Or both?
Great way of phrasing it – it is the developing seeds that are affected, not the emerging fruit. It is basically impossible to avoid cross pollination in a home-garden setting. Plants would need to be 100 feet apart or more to avoid the possibility. Seed sellers isolate their plants with insect netting or cheese cloth to ensure each plant self-pollinates only. Have fun gardening!
@peppergeek, yes you can by using blossom bags and self pollinating.
Last year I purchased 8 hard to find chili pepper varieties from The Hippy Seed Company out of Australia. I live in San Diego, CA and every single seed I received from them grew. Absolutely incredible! Here is their website linkā¦
https://thehippyseedcompany.com/about/
Looking at this beautiful collection is super frustrating for me because I want to have to many of them but cannot place an order outside of my country. We cannot import any pepper seeds to New Zealand easily as they are quite stringent on bio contaminants here. They destroy seeds if you order them in the mail unless you pay money to have them quarantined and put through a government supervised bio decontamination process. So yeah, super jealous of you guys!
What a bummer! Sounds like you need someone to safely import some of the special varieties and then distribute them locally
Patrickās pepper patch has great seeds very reasonable. Can be found on the pepper freaks Facebook group.
hey Walt!
I’m hungarian, I’ll try to help but to tell the truth many different types are used for paprika powder. The most common’s are Szegedi, Kalocsai. Capsicum Annuum Longum as much I know and have Mexican origins.
Hi Calvin
I donāt see Refining Fire Chiles aka Super Hot Chiles on the recommended list anymore. Have purchased 100s of $$ of seeds from them in the last couple months for this years germination. Have they changed their name or are they no longer a good source for seeds? Would always get numerous extra seeds with each order. Sometimes the free seeds outnumbered the seeds quantities ordered. Jim is great and they used to be on your list for ever, just wondering why the removal?
Are they still a good source?
Yes, refining fire is reputable and the seeds we’ve ordered have grown true to type.
@Robert,
Owner is not a good person. He unethically sold khang starr pepper, which is supposed to be freely distributed.
I am wondering if you may know the name of a Hungarian pepper that had the most flavor when dried and used in cooking. I kept some seeds that is quite old; but I cannot seem to germinate them. Maybe they dried out.
I bought them from a grower in Kelowna, BC years ago who had brought the seed from Hungary.
Is there a way to rehydrate them?
thanks
@Walt,
Pepper seeds keep best when dry and cool, so being dry is not a problem but germination becomes difficult after about 5 years. Beyond following good germination procedures, there may be nothing you can do to bring them back.
I’m only familiar with a couple of Hungarian peppers, for drying I would expect it to be one of the many Paprika varieties. Was it hot, and can you describe the shape and color?
Hello,
I wish i would get all the seeds to grow here in my country. Looks really great. How would i get the seeds. Each in small amounts so i can start a pepper culture.
Regards
Esther
Sandiaseed.com is also a great source of pepper seeds, they have over 100 peppers. I try to grow a few new varieties every year, wish I could grow them all!