Description
Chilli Name: CAPSICUM LANCEOLATUM
Chilli Species: Lanceolatum
Chilli Origin: Guatemala
Chilli Heat: Unknown
Capsicum lanceolatum — A Wild and Ancient Chilli from the Highlands of Central America
Capsicum lanceolatum is one of the most genetically ancient and unique species in the entire Capsicum genus. Native to the highlands of Guatemala, this wild chilli was first described in the 1950s but has remained extremely rare in cultivation due to its remote habitat and limited seed availability.
The plant is distinct in both appearance and genetics. It grows as a large, bushy perennial, with long, narrow lance-shaped leaves — the feature that gives the species its name. It thrives in cool, shaded environments at higher elevations, making it very different from most heat-loving chillies.
Its flowers are pale green to yellow, lacking the vibrant markings seen in other species, and are usually borne singly. The fruit is small, round, and red, and while very little formal testing has been done on its heat level, it's generally considered to be non-pungent or only faintly hot, likely producing little to no capsaicin.
What truly sets Capsicum lanceolatum apart is its genetic lineage. It sits on one of the oldest branches of the Capsicum family tree — so distant, in fact, that it can’t easily hybridise with common species like annuum, chinense, or baccatum. For this reason, it is of great interest to botanists and evolutionary researchers, particularly those studying the early diversification of the genus.
Though it offers no real culinary use, Capsicum lanceolatum is a botanical treasure — a chilli species preserved through time in the cloud forests of Central America, reminding us of the deep evolutionary roots of the fiery fruits we enjoy today.
