Description
Chilli Name : POLUMBO (PI 439411)
Chilli Species : Baccatum
Chilli Origin : South America (Peru / Bolivia)
Chilli Heat : Medium
Polumbo (PI 439411) is a rare South American Capsicum baccatum variety preserved in the USDA seed collection. Believed to originate from Peru or Bolivia, this variety reflects the rich diversity of traditional Andean chillies — grown for both culinary and research use due to its stable genetics, flavour, and resistance traits.
Pods are medium-sized and elongated, 5–8 cm long, with the distinctive baccatum shoulder flare near the stem. They ripen from pale green to bright red, offering a sweet, tangy, and slightly floral flavour with medium heat around 15,000–30,000 SHU. The pods dry easily and are perfect for salsas, pickles, and seasoning flakes, where their brightness and mild acidity shine.
Plants are tall and branching (80–120 cm), producing abundant crops of pendant pods. Like most baccatum types, they thrive in sunny, warm conditions and are well suited to greenhouse or open-ground growing.
Seeds germinate best at 26–30 °C, sprouting within 10–21 days. Plants mature in around 100–110 days and crop steadily through late summer.
