Capsicum annuum var. aviculare
Tepin Pepper, which can only be found wildly in the Sonoran Desert in the Southwest of the USA and bordering Mexico, in parts of Texas and Arizona, as well as in Central and South America, is considered the archetype of today's cultivated chili varieties.
It's also known as chiltepín, Indian pepper, chiltepe, chile tepín, turkey, bird's eye, or bird peppers. The latter names hark back to the fact that birds spread the plants.
Indeed, the approx. 1cm large, round to tapered red fruits belong to the world's most expensive spices as the harvest is very elaborate and commercial cultivation of the Tepín pepper is difficult.
In the wild, the shrubs are often found growing at a height up to 120cm in the shade of trees. In our widths, the Tepín pepper plants are usually smaller and need a more extended maturation period of up to 200 days, so you can only harvest them on the warm windowsill in winter.
The usage of this traditional, hot chili variety can be traced back up to 9000 years. It's considered holy in many Native American tribes.
The spiciness hits immediately at the first bite but then vanishes soon - although Tepín pepper doesn't have that many Scoville, the spiciness feels tremendously in the mouth for a short time.
Height: 2’
Spread: 2’
Bloom: May-November
Light: Full sun, Part Sun, Full Shade
Water: Low
Zone: 8, 9
Origin: Texas, Southwest & Mexico
