Mushroom peppers come in either C.Chinense or C.Annuum.
Sometimes both are sold as C.Chinense.
I have the ones like tradewinds pic shows.I have both yellow and red.
I am growing 2 more that are supposed to be C.Chinense and they will be like this picture in the link below.They will be red and yellow too.

The plants I have now are on their second year.
The ones I have are hot but I hear the C.Chinense ones are much hotter.
My new ones have just sprouted so I won't know what I have until later in the season.I also planted some seeds from my friends red mushroom thats different than mine-squash looking pods.They haven't come up yet.
Whats wierd is that the person I know baught 2 plants from the same flat I did and his were the Chinense and put out the smaller squash shaped pods,2 1/2 inches by 1 1/2 inches.
My pods were 3-4 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide.
Our plants weren't at all the same.
Mines got small pods on it now.

They aren't very rare.It seems all the seed companies this year are calling everything thats not a Jalapeno or banana pepper rare to get people to buy it.
If I remember right they used to call Mushroom peppers something like squash scotch bonnet or something before.

This year I've been trading a lot of pepper seeds and it's crazy how many seeds have different names that are for the same pepper.
I think some of the seed companies couldn't sell something they must have had a lot of so they call it their made up name and we think it's something new only to find out at harvest that you just paid some rediculous price for tabasco peppers or regular Jalapenos...Some places are re naming their habaneros and raising the price to get more bucks for common orange habs.

Both versions of the mushroom are tastey but they taste different.
I've only had the squash looking ones mixed up in food with other peppers so I don't know how much hotter than the other pepper they are.
I think mine weren't as hot as habaneros but the squash one is supposed to be about as hot as habaneros.
I should find out in a couple months when I have both kinds to compare.
Mine overwinter outside fine.So do most of my peppers but we don't get that cold here except for a few weeks in Jan. or so.
I'm usually still picking pods at thanksgiving from my late bloomers.Had Tepins and Pequins at christmas last year along with red savinas and tree habaneros.

Good luck with your plant.
Wonder what one you got.

Here is a link that might be useful: mushroom pic-C.Chinense

Thanks a lot man. That was quite informative.

I am wondering what I got now. Says it will be red. Said it is "very hot" (which is why I bought it). Can't be that rare if you can buy one at the nursery. I'm never trusting those nursery tags again.

The plant looks C.Chinense and it is showing a few very young flower buds. I guess I'll find out soon. =)

Thanks again for the post!

-HabBob

It's really hard to figure out whats what with these peppers.
For instance Peppermainia sells their yellow mushroom as an Annuum.It looks like the squash kind.

Mine I thaught was an Annuum but it has the longer fat ribless pods.

Chilewoman sells it as an Annuum - yellow mushroom.
But she calls her Jamaican hot-red a mushroom and a Chinense.
Her yellow Jamaican hot-yellow she calls an Annuum.
I've seen yellows refered to as either Annuum or Chinense and reds also called both.

Almost all say something about their mushroom being squash shape.

Then you get tradewinds that says the pepper as being habanero related but looking like a small bell pepper not a squash.And they call their red one an annuum.
So your guess is as good as any.

Cool. I actually kind of like the mystery.

I have 4/4 of Fatalli/Caribbean red seedlings comin up still not sure which is which. There's little bit of mystery there.

-HabBob

I think most peppers called mushroom or squash are C. annuum. Awhile back Tomato Growers Supply advertised one of theirs as "related to a habanero" and I think this led to some misunderstandings. Their pepper was a C. annuum. I have grown a C. chinense with a similar shape called 'Rocotillo'

People like smokemaster are so generous with their time it's incredible. And fiedlermeister's photos are simply stunning.

I'm sorry to say this, HabBob and I would not want to rain on your parade, but...

At nurseries, little kids (and big old kids too) have been known to fool around with those plant labels. Get my drift?

Jim

I'm Covering All bases this year.

I've got Jamaican Yellow Hot , Jamaican Red Hot , Yellow Mushroom , Red Mushroom - all squash shaped. LOL

Then I still have my overwintered non Squash looking pepper plants-that were labled Red and Yellow Mushrooms.

Plus I have the Squash shaped red and yellow Scotch Bonnets.

All these names are on the seed packs along with the descriptions.

The non Squash looking ones were baught as plants,the rest were seeds.
I also have Rocotillo.
Hope I didn't miss any Squash shaped Peppers. :)

Just to add to the mixture I have a Rocotillo that is C. baccatum

I've grown Jamaican red hots for the past 2 years, they don't really have the typical pumpkinesque shape of squash peppers. They looks more like slightly squaty habaneros and typically on my plants only have 3 lobes. The ones I've been growing are definitely Chinense. Here are some pictures of one of my overwintered plants (sorry for the crummy quality).

Brazilian Red Pumpkin--another C. baccatum

I'm currently growing the orange squash peppers, and they sure are pretty hot, but certainly not as hot as a habanero. Actually, I started the plants last spring inside, and they made it through the winter, and are just starting to bud out again. They're pretty heavy producers, too

Fieldermeister,
I can just picture you with your camera taking pictures of your plants.

C'mon baby,open your petals...a little more...Thats it.click click
Come on,show me your spots.
Yea baby thats it.Click Click click

Now I wanna see your pods.
Come on.Put your pods next to the ruler.Ya thats it...Click Click
Now you got it...Click Click
Oh honey,such nice green pods.Click Click Click
There sooooo nice.Click Click click

Let me see some red ones now,ya baby,a little redder,thats it.hold up those leaves...Click Click Click
Oh honey your the best....Click click Click.....Flasssshhhh...

Darn it,memory cards full and I still don't have any pics of the Bolivian butt burner....and it's in bloom with pods too. :)

LOL

Was looking for an old post of mine but found this one.

Fiedlermeister I agree with smokemaster. =)

I would be the same way with plants like that and a digi cam (which I don't have). Your plants are gorgeous.

Cheers to you and your beautiful pics. You're a huge contributor to this forum.

-HabBob

Thanks Bob

I started out just keeping notes on the peppers I grew and then started documenting with a camera.A much better method of record keeping and it helped me bocome more aware of the beauty.