@laserguy
THANKS for the very helpful explanation!
You're Welcome, Smiter Q!
Let me know if you have any questions about growing these out here in Texas - I had some 6-year-old Rocoto plants of various kinds growing here for years (before the dang aphids finally did 'em in.
).
I have all three colors...
That's kinda like saying you've got all 3 colors of superhots!
There are more than 100 varieties of these guys! (Like superhots, they also come in more than 3 colors.
)
Higher temps do not seem to bother at least my yellow strain of them but to much light does so shading would be a good idea.
Living in Washington state, I think you might have a
slightly different definition of hot weather than we do here in Texas!
Given the weather we had been seeing here this past summer, growing even the more heat-tolerant pepper species has been somewhat of a challenge (just ask AJ!), let alone C. pubescens (many of which tend to prefer cooler temps).
Your cooler weather up there in Washington actually has an advantage over us for growing some of these guys!
Smiter Q, here's some more info for ya...
Capsicum pubescens are found growing in perhaps the widest variety of climates out of all of the domesticated pepper species. Some grow in the jungles of Central America. Some grow in cooler mountain climates. Some are aclimated to growing under the shade of a dense rainforest canopy. Some grow high in the Andes Mountains, where the air is thin and the sun's rays strong. Some grow in places that are virtually "seasonless", an endless Springtime, where the day/night temp range is basically the same all year-round.
And as the oldest domesticated species, many of these varieties have had literally
thousands of years to acclimate to their own unique growing environments.
(To give you an idea of just how
alien a growing environment we are talking about, many of these varieties are found in an area which literally straddles the equator in the highlands of Equador, where the sun rises and sets
at the exact same time every single day of the year, in and around the Andes Mountains, with most of those growing at an altitude of
between 7,400 to over 11,000 feet!)
Now take one of these guys, and try growing it in a completely different environment (like here in the USA).
Some will not survive this far North of the equator. Some will grow, but not produce. Some will do OK, but only in certain climates. Or above certain altitudes. Many do not tolerate hot climates. But some will. Some only do well in shade. Others prefer direct sun.
Now, if you know the specific variety you are growing, you can adapt your growing conditions to better match its preferred environment. or select a variety whose native climate better matches your own.
But here's the problem - with these peppers, often times you
don't know what specific variety it actually is! All you've got is a
generic name ("Red Rocoto" could mean nearly any of the red peppers of this species!)
Worse, because many folks (including many seed vendors) mistakenly think these generic names are specific varieties of peppers, they start offering sometimes contradictary growing advice, heat tolerance, sunlight preferences, ripe podage timelines, etc., not realizing that the "Red Rocoto" plant they have may be completely
DIFFERENT from the "Red Rocoto" the other guy is growing!
And even if their seeds are from the same source, that particular variety may do well in their climate, but not in yours!
The end result of all of this confusion is that a beginner will follow advice that may or may not match what he's actually growing, or try to grow a variety that does poorly in his local climate (or is a variety with an extended growing season that requires 2 years to produce pods in his climate, and he tosses the plant after only 1!
), and if he fails, gives-up on Rocotos entirely, not realizing he may have just been trying to grow the wrong kind!
People that live in areas with mild climates where these plants are available locally (like Calif.) are at a decided advantage on this front, as a good nursery will track-down & sell varieties that grow well in their local climate.
Getting seeds (and growing advice for that variety) from someone who lives in a similar climate to yours is another good approach.
Otherwise, while there is some general advice that applies to the majority of peppers of this species, often times it is just a matter of "experimenting" to see what a particular variety prefers, and how well it will handle your particular climate.
That last bit is the tricky part for those of us that live here in Texas!
As a result, these can be more of a challenge than some of the other more common peppers grown out here. But don't let that discourage you! This species can take a bit more time/effort to grow, but when it starts producing those unique, delicious peppers, the results are
more than worth it! 
)
