Project 2006+ (Chiltepin)

Chiltepines are fascinating little beasts, well known for their bite, regarded a specialty. Yet, the number of chileheads paying them a peculiar interest is pretty small.

So, in 2006, I tried the cultivation of a wider range of accessions of chiltepines and similar bird peppers, from a number of people and organizations. This trial turned into a somewhat longer-running project as these kinds of chile plants tend to grow for a few years (more so than other chile peppers). Supposedly, chiltepin plants with a height of a few meters and an age of about 30 years have been found.

(The height is easily believed - As one can see on the left, some chiltepines reach some 2 meters of height in the first year; the age will less likely be reached in a home garden, outside of the natural habitat.)

The aim is to produce a documentation of the characteristics, common properties, and differences of various accessions - and simply, to follow the fascination that the chiltepines have started exerting on me.

 

More in the section on the Chiltepin, here.