Description
Botanical Name: Capsicum annuum L. var. glabriusculum
Common Name: Bird Pepper, Chiltepin, Chile Pequin
Description: Did you know there is a pepper plant that’s native to Florida?? Well now ya do, cause that’s exactly what the Bird Pepper is.
This deciduous to semi-evergreen (in our area) to evergreen (central to south Florida) short-lived perennial shrub has dainty white flowers that turn into dainty, very hot, orange/red peppers. Yep, the peppers are edible, but please keep in mind that they are very hot: between 50,000 to 100,000 units on the Scoville scale. Eat them at your own risk.
It’s a fast grower to 3-4 feet tall x 2-3 feet wide. The flowers repeat bloom during the warm season, which means those peppers are also repeat produced during the warm season. That gives you lots of pretty colors in your garden from late spring till fall.
Grows in moderately moist to dry, well-drained, sand or clay soils. Does not like heavy, waterlogged soil. Plant it in sun, part sun, or part shade. Its native habitat is in coastal hammocks and shrubby thickets.
It attracts pollinators to its flowers, including bees. Birds, especially mockingbirds, love to eat the green peppers that aren’t ripened. Has moderate deer resistance. I know from personal experience that rabbits will munch on these a little, but usually don’t eat the whole plant.
Are you thinking about growing this from seed? Well, keep this little tidbit in mind: The germination rate is much higher if the peppers/seeds have been eaten, digested, then pooped out of a bird. I guess that’s the birds’ way of scarifying the seeds!
Has low to no tolerance of salty wind, direct salt spray, salty soil, or salt water.
This plant in 1-gallon containers is 5 – 15 inches tall.
Plant Lore: This plant is in the Nightshade family.
Hardiness Zones 8b – 11
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