Chile Tepín
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Capsicum annuum var. aviculare
Common Names: 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.
Nectar Source:
Butterflies, Bees, Moths, Insects
Food Source:
Birds
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 7-10 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.
