Chile Tepín
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Capsicum annuum var. aviculare
Common Names include Tepín Pepper, Chile Tepín, Chile Petín, Bird Pepper, Turkey Pepper
Chile Tepín is Native to the Sonoran Desert in the Southwest USA, hugging the borders of Mexico and parts of Texas and Arizona, as well as Central and South America. It’s often treasured as the original version of the chili varieties we enjoy today. These tiny peppers typically reach about 1 cm in size, while the Tepín pepper plants usually stand tall at around 120 cm in their natural habitat, thriving under shade. However, when cultivated, they tend to be smaller and need a little more time to mature—up to 200 days—making them perfect for a warm windowsill harvest even during winter. The flowers that precede the peppers attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects.
The Tepín pepper has a rich history, having been cherished for over 9,000 years and considered sacred by many Native American tribes. Although it might have a lower Scoville rating, you’ll quickly feel its delightful heat as soon as you taste it, which fades away swiftly but leaves a memorable zing in your mouth for a little while. Birds often feed on the peppers, as they are immune to the heat, and help disperse the seeds by doing so. Most mammals avoid eating the peppers due to their sensitivity to the pepper’s heat, with the exception of humans as we have developed a taste for them, and occasionally, in the wild, coyotes, who are opportunistic omnivorous survivors.
Height: 2'
Spread: 2'
Bloom: May-November
Light: Full Sun-Full Shade
Water: Low
Zone: 8-9
Origin: Texas, Southwest US, Mexico, Central & South America
Spring Shipping:
Orders are shipped within 10-15 business days. We will email you if there are expected delays.
When you order plants from our nursery, you can expect them to arrive in the best possible condition. Our team carefully packs each order using sturdy, biodegradable packaging materials.
Your plants' appearance may vary depending on the season and their current growth stage. We may cut back the leafy growth of some plants to prepare them for shipment and transplanting.
5 Gallon and Up: Any plant purchased to ship over 5 Gallons will be shipped bare root. This means we will remove the plant from its original pot, remove the soil surrounding the roots, and wrap the roots with a biodegradable plastic bag. This reduces weight and the likelihood of damage during shipping.
Once your plants arrive, it is essential to plant them as soon as possible. This will help them rebound and thrive. If you cannot plant immediately, water regularly and keep the roots off heat-conducting surfaces.
Newly transplanted plants often require more water until their roots are well established. Plan to water them 1-3 times weekly for the first few months.
Pairs well with
Customer Reviews
Overall rating: 5.0 / 5 from 15 reviews.
Good strong plant, healthy, good size when I received it from the mail.
It’s thriving, but looks happy. Love the way it was prepped and packed
I’m really pleased with my purchases from you for the past four years. I started my native garden from scratch about four years ago in the yard of the home we renovated four years ago. I’ve learned so much from my neighbors, Grapevine Garden Club and all of the Texas native garden experts on YouTube. You have been a reliable source of all of the wonderful plants I’ve learned about. So far I’ve had a 100% success rate of my purchases from you!
Appears to be healthy plants
Loved the ease of ordering as well as the packaging.
Great service
Plants arrived in good condition. Healthy. Excellent packing job!
So excited they had this!
The plants were in good condition and easy to plant. They are doing well!
A bit worried given this was an end of the season, fall purchase. Plant arrived well packed, a bit leggy but healthy. Watered and planted the next day. Plant is doing very well, minimal transplant shock. I am very happy with the purchase. This is my second successful online order from Native Gardeners. Already thinking about the spring possibilities!
Love plants!!!
Two 4-inch Chile Tepin plants arrived on a 103 degree F afternoon. The box and pots were hot but they were packed so well they completely perked up the next day. Your plant packaging and shipping is amazing. Thank you!
Good-sized plants got here in great shape.
Great information and selection on native plants that would fit our North Texas landscape.
Perfect plant and arrived very well packaged
