Capsicum frutescens
Bird pepper, pili-pili, Martin pepper, malagueta: its name comes from its natural dispersal by birds, which swallow its small fruits pointing skyward without feeling their heat. Tiny but formidable, it is the pepper used in African and Asian sauces, and a direct relative of Tabasco.
Characteristics:
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Very hot: 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville units, with a clear 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 at the same time.
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Highly ornamental: its colorful upright fruits make it an attractive container plant.
Precautions — read carefully:
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Wear gloves when handling the fruits, whether fresh or dried. Capsaicin adheres to the skin and resists washing with water: subsequent contact with the eyes causes very painful burning.
- Wash your hands with soap and oil rather than water alone — capsaicin is fat-soluble.
- Use it sparingly: a single fruit is enough to spice up an entire dish. Keep the fruits and seeds out of reach of children.
- In case of a burning sensation in the mouth, drink milk or eat a dairy product: 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 container that can be sheltered, or in a greenhouse.
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Soil: rich, loose, moist and well-drained, enriched with compost. It does not tolerate stagnant 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 retain moisture.
- Bring the pot indoors before frost: the pepper is perennial and can produce for several consecutive years in a conservatory.
Harvesting advice:
- Harvest while wearing gloves, green for a greener, more direct heat, or red for a more complex and slightly sweet fruit.
- They dry remarkably well: threaded into a garland and hung up, they keep for years.
Beneficial companions:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its white flowers are visited by bees and bumblebees throughout the summer.
- Its fruits pointing upward are an adaptation for dispersal by birds, which are insensitive to capsaicin — hence its name.
Uses:
- The basis of African pili-pili sauces, Thai curries and Caribbean condiments. 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, as peppers cross-pollinate easily: isolate your seed plants if you are growing several varieties. Clearly label the packet. See how to save your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose reproducible, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, without any chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to sow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Small in size, formidable in strength: the pepper of sauces from around the world.
