Capsicum frutescens
Bird’s eye chili, pili-pili, Martinique pepper, malagueta: tiny but formidable, this is the chili used in African and Asian sauces, a close relative of Tabasco. Its fruits, barely 2 to 3 cm long, grow upright above the foliage — a distinctive habit that sets it apart at a glance from all chilies with hanging fruits.
Characteristics:
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Very hot: 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units, with a direct and immediate heat.
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Small upright fruits: 2 to 3 cm, pointing upward and changing from green to bright red.
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Extremely productive: a single plant bears dozens of fruits simultaneously.
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Highly ornamental: its colorful upright fruits make it an attractive potted plant.
Precautions — read carefully:
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Wear gloves when handling the fruits, whether fresh or dried. Capsaicin clings to the skin and is not removed by washing with water: subsequent contact with the eyes can cause very painful burns.
- Wash your hands with soap and oil rather than water alone — capsaicin is fat-soluble.
- Use sparingly: a single fruit is enough to spice up an entire dish. Keep the fruits and seeds out of children’s reach.
- In case of a burning sensation in the mouth, drink milk or eat dairy: water only spreads the capsaicin around.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun and plenty of heat. In cool regions, grow it in a pot that can be moved under cover, or in a greenhouse.
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Soil: rich, loose, moist and well drained, enriched with compost. It does not tolerate standing water.
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Method: sow from February to March under cover, at a minimum of 25 °C: below 20 °C, germination fails. Allow 2 to 3 weeks. See how to sow your seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant when nighttime temperatures remain above 12 °C, spacing plants 40 to 50 cm apart. Unlike tomatoes, do not bury the stem: a buried crown will rot.
Care advice:
- Water regularly at the base, without excess. Mulch to maintain moisture.
- Bring the pot indoors before frost: the chili is perennial and can produce for several consecutive years in a conservatory.
Harvesting advice:
- Harvest with gloves, green for a greener, more direct heat, or red for a more complex, slightly sweet fruit.
- They dry exceptionally well: threaded into a string and hung up, they keep for years.
Beneficial companion plants:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its small greenish-white flowers are visited by honeybees, solitary bees and bumblebees throughout the summer.
- Perennial under cover, it can produce for several consecutive years: a single well-tended plant provides more than enough for a household, without starting from scratch every spring.
Uses:
- The basis of African pili-pili sauces, Thai curries and Caribbean condiments. Use it fresh, dried, powdered or infused in oil. One fruit is generally enough for four people.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Open a fully ripe fruit while wearing gloves, remove the seeds, rinse them and dry them flat. Be careful: chilies cross-pollinate easily, so isolate your seed plants if you grow several varieties. Label the packet clearly. See how to store your seeds.
Our Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Volcanoes of Auvergne, we choose reproducible, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, sorted and carefully packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our conviction: to give gardeners back the ability to sow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Small in size, formidable in strength: the chili of sauces from around the world.
