RED SAVINA: THE FLAME THAT STARTED A FIRE

August 6, 2025

RMS Blog • Artifact Series • Plant Sale Edition

In the pantheon of peppers, few burn as brightly or as historically as the Red Savina. Once crowned the world’s hottest, this crimson beast is a legacy.

ORIGIN: THE MADMAN AND THE MUTATION

The Red Savina was born in the garden of Frank Garcia, a California grower who spotted a fiery mutation among his orange habaneros. What followed was a decade of selective breeding, secrecy, and spice. Garcia patented the pepper in 1994, locking in its status as a proprietary inferno. For years, it held the Guinness World Record as the hottest chili on Earth—clocking in at a blistering 577,000 Scoville Heat Units.

PROFILE: FLAVOR, FIRE, AND FORM

Color: Deep red, glossy, and intimidating

Shape: Squat and wrinkled, like a habanero with attitude

Flavor: Fruity and floral up front, then a volcanic back-end burn

Heat: 10x hotter than a jalapeño, 2x hotter than a standard habanero

CULTIVATION: GROW YOUR OWN LEGEND

Red Savinas thrive in warm climates with full sun and well-drained soil. They’re compact, ornamental, and surprisingly prolific. Whether you’re a backyard grower or a spice sorcerer, these plants deliver both beauty and brutality.

Days to Maturity: ~90

Height: 24–36 inches

Yield: High, especially with regular pruning

LEGACY: FROM GUINNESS TO THE GARDEN

Though dethroned by newer superhots like the Carolina Reaper, the Red Savina remains a foundational figure in the pepperverse. It’s the OG of engineered heat. The blueprint for flavor-forward fire. And now, it’s part of the RMS Plant Sale lineup, ready to be scrollified, sanctified, and sautéed.