Description
Chilli Name : CHILTEPIN FORT PRESCOTT
Chilli Species : Annuum (var. glabriusculum – wild type)
Chilli Origin : USA (Arizona, Fort Prescott region)
Chilli Heat : Hot
Chiltepin Fort Prescott is a wild chilli variety from Arizona, named after the Fort Prescott area where it grows naturally. Like other chiltepin strains, it belongs to Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum, the wild ancestor of domesticated annuums.
Pods are tiny, round, and berry-like, ripening from green to bright red. Heat is hot and sharp, delivering a quick fiery punch that fades faster than cultivated superhots. The flavour is fresh, slightly citrusy, and tangy — traditional to wild tepins.
Culturally, chiltepins hold great importance in the American Southwest and northern Mexico, often harvested from the wild and used in traditional cooking. This regional strain reflects the adaptation of the wild chilli to Arizona’s climate and terrain.
Plants are shrubby and resilient, growing 1–2 m tall in the wild, though smaller in cultivation. They germinate slowly, often taking 3–6 weeks, but once established they can live for several years.
Seeds germinate best at 28–30 °C, with long sprouting times typical of wild types. Plants need 120+ days to first harvest, but reward growers with abundant crops of small fiery pods.
