Numex Twilight Chilli Seeds

NuMex Twilight Chilli Seeds – 10 Fresh Seeds

NuMex Twilight is a highly decorative Capsicum annuum developed by New Mexico State University and released in the early 1990s. It was selected from seed originally collected in Jalisco, Mexico, and has since become one of the best-known ornamental chilli varieties worldwide.

The compact, densely branched plants become absolutely covered in small, upright chillies held above the foliage. The real attraction is the spectacular colour change as the pods mature:

Purple → Yellow → Orange → Red

Because fruits ripen at different speeds, a single plant can carry all four colours at once, creating a brilliant rainbow effect. Your plants show this perfectly, with deep purple immature pods mixed through bright yellow, orange and vivid red fruit.

The pods are small, smooth and upright, usually around 2–2.5cm long, and are produced in large numbers on neat, bushy plants. NuMex Twilight was specifically valued for its compact, multi-branched habit, making it ideal for pots, patios, windowsills, borders and ornamental displays.

Although grown mainly as an ornamental, the fruits are edible and can be surprisingly hot. Heat figures published by secondary sources vary considerably, with many quoting around 30,000–50,000 SHU, although New Mexico State University notes that the original cultivar’s heat level was not formally evaluated. For that reason, I’d describe it as hot, approximately 30,000–50,000 SHU rather than claiming an exact figure.

NuMex Twilight also has some interesting breeding history: it has been used as a source of cucumber mosaic virus resistance in chilli breeding programmes.

Species: Capsicum annuum
Origin: Selected in New Mexico from material originating in Jalisco, Mexico
Pod Colour: Purple → Yellow → Orange → Red
Pod Size: Approx. 2–2.5cm
Plant Habit: Compact, bushy and heavily branched
Heat: Hot – commonly reported around 30,000–50,000 SHU
Use: Ornamental, containers, borders and edible chilli
Seeds: 10 fresh chilli seeds