Unripe habaneros are green, and they color as they mature. Common colors are orange and red, but white, brown, yellow. Green and purple are also seen. Typically, a ripe habanero chili is 2 – 6 cm (0.8 – 2.4 in) length.

Habaneros thrive in hot weather. As with all peppers, it is a perennial flowering plant, meaning that with proper care and growing conditions, it can produce flowers (and thus fruit) for many years.