Description
Chilli Name: PI 560544
Chilli Species: Eximium
Chilli Origin: Bolivia
Chilli Heat: Hot
PI 560544 Chilli — A Wild Capsicum eximium from the Highlands of Bolivia
PI 560544 is a wild chilli accession collected in Bolivia, classified as Capsicum eximium, and stored in the USDA Plant Introduction (PI) collection. Native to the Andean highlands, C. eximium is one of the earliest-diverging species in the Capsicum genus and is known for its distinctive purple flowers, cold tolerance, and resilience in poor soils.
The plant is a compact, shrubby perennial, well-suited to cool, dry environments. It produces small, narrow green leaves and the characteristic purple corollas with pale centres that define the species. The fruits are tiny, upright, and round to teardrop-shaped, ripening from green to red. Despite their small size, these pods are fiery, with heat levels typically in the 30,000–60,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) range.
PI 560544 is highly valued by researchers, breeders, and collectors for its genetic diversity, natural pest resistance, and potential in breeding programmes aimed at improving stress tolerance and resilience in cultivated chillies.
While not intended for culinary use due to the small pod size, PI 560544 offers a rich glimpse into the wild ancestry of hot peppers — a bold, rugged chilli from the mountains of Bolivia with scientific and horticultural importance.
