Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden
Birds Eye Chilli
- Regular price
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£1.99 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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£1.99
The Bird’s Eye chilli (Capsicum frutescens) is a small, slender, extremely pungent chilli native to Southeast Asia and parts of Africa. It’s widely known for its intense heat (about 50,000–100,000 Scoville Heat Units, SHU) and is a staple in Thai, Filipino, African, and Indian cuisine. Despite its fiery nature, it’s valued not only for heat but also for its bright, citrusy, slightly grassy flavour. The plant is admired for its upright-growing, ornamental fruits, which ripen from green to bright red or sometimes yellow, depending on the strain.
The Bird’s Eye chilli is a compact, fiery, and highly productive plant that’s both a culinary powerhouse and a visual delight. Whether you want to add an authentic punch to Southeast Asian dishes or grow an ornamental yet functional edible in your garden or balcony, this pepper is a top choice. With a little care, it will reward you with a long season of colour and intense heat.
| Quantity of Seeds | 10 seeds per packet |
| Origin | Africa (likely Ethiopia) |
| Genus | Capsicum frutescens |
| Scoville Rating/Heat Level | 50,000–100,000 SHU — very hot, comparable to cayenne but often with a sharper, more immediate burn. |
| Plant Size | Typically 50–100 cm (20–40 inches), depending on conditions. Upright, bushy with a somewhat open canopy. Small to medium, pointed green leaves. Small, white, sometimes with a pale green tinge, often appearing singly or in pairs at leaf nodes. Highly productive, often producing dozens to hundreds of small fruits over the season. |
| Pod Size |
Slim, elongated, slightly curved pods, about 2–4 cm (0.8–1.6 inches) long and 0.5–1 cm (0.2–0.4 inches) wide. Green → orange → bright red at full maturity (some varieties ripen yellow or purple). Thin-walled, smooth, firm, and crisp when fresh. |
| Flavour | Clean, sharp heat with a slightly grassy, citrusy, or fruity undertone. Essential in Southeast Asian cooking (especially Thai curries and stir-fries), sambals, hot sauces, chili pastes, pickles, and as a fresh or dried condiment. |
| Growing Conditions |
Sow seeds ¼ inch (0.5 cm) deep in a sterile seed-starting mix. Start seeds indoors 8–10 weeks before the last frost date. Ideal soil temperature: 24–30°C (75–86°F) — use a heat mat if necessary. Keep soil consistently moist but not soggy. Use a humidity dome or plastic cover for better humidity, ventilating daily to avoid fungal issues. Transplant seedlings when they have 4–6 true leaves and night temperatures stay above 15°C (59°F). Gradually harden off before moving outdoors. Space plants 45–60 cm (18–24 inches) apart to allow good airflow. Start with a balanced fertilizer (e.g., 10-10-10) during vegetative growth. Switch to a fertilizer higher in potassium and phosphorus when plants start flowering to promote fruiting. |
All plants are grown on our farm in Norfolk, UK and are grown in an open pollinated area.
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