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Cold Hardy Chili Pepper Seeds

Cold Hardy Chili Pepper Seeds - Capsicum flexuosum - Ke huí

Capsicum flexuosum
Ke huí
  • Hardy to Zone 7
  • Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Germination Tested Dec 4, 2024: 40%
  • Approximately 20-25 seeds per packet
$5.00 CAD
$5.00 CAD
Sale Sold out

Capsicum flexuosum is a small wild perennial pepper species that is hardy to -15°C (5°F)! The peppers are slightly larger than a pea, but the plants are heavy producers, and come back year after year. Fruits are quite hot with a fruity flavour. Plants continue growing and ripening peppers into the late fall, even when nights are below freezing.

The plants can grow up to 10 feet tall, and develop woody stems over a few years. They’re said to live 10 years or even up to 30. They will lose their leaves during the winter, but will leaf out around May once temperatures die back. When the plants are young, they will likely die back to the ground in winter, but they will regrow from the roots in late spring  

At least two plants are needed to set fruit. When plants are young, it can help to transfer pollen from plant to plant using a small paintbrush or q-tip to help with pollination. Once the flowers get more numerous, the bees should have no problem doing the pollination for you.

In my experience, plants are best propagated by layering or root cuttings, although half-wood, green cuttings are said to work too.

This is a very rare species native to southern Brazil, where it is sometimes used as a spice. Capsicum flexuosum has apparently been crossed to other pepper species, but all my attempts and others I have heard about by backyard growers have failed. I am interested in breeding this pepper with others to create larger, cold tolerant peppers. If you have had success doing this, please be in touch!

Botanical sample. Not germination tested. Seeds can be tricky to germinate, and benefit from special treatment. See “Growing Instructions” tab below. 

Growing Instructions

Seeds can be very tricky to germinate, and sprout erratically over several weeks. Start indoors in winter (I start in Jan or Feb) in sterile growing medium in pots or flats. I use 4 inch pots. Sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep, and keep the soil slightly damp. Cover pot with plastic wrap to help retain moisture if needed- remove when first seeds sprout. Room temperature is apparently best for germinating this species, use a heat mat if your house is cold like mine. Seeds can take 2 weeks to many months to germinate, but don't give up on them! Keep them warm and moist and your patience will pay off. Don't throw out the pots as some people have had them sprout a year later!

PRE-TREATMENT: seeds have a hard coat and seem to go into dormancy quickly. Pretreating the seeds is probably a good idea, and can make the seeds sprout faster. Soaking in hydrogen peroxide before planting may help break down the seed coat. My friend Matt of Bloomsday Native Plants had almost 100% germination by soaking seeds in gibberellic acid (GA3) and chamomile tea. Gibberellic acid can be purchased online.

TRANSPLANTING: Once seedlings have their first true leaves, transplant into larger pots, or plant out in their final location after danger of frost. They are slow growing in the first year, but pick up speed in year 2 and beyond. Space 1-2 feet apart to start: plants can always be dug up and spread out if they get too crowded as they get older.

GROWING CONDITIONS: Full sun is best, but part shade is ok too. Well-draining, fertile garden soil is ideal. Plants are quite drought and heat tolerant. No trellising is needed. Can be grown in large pots.

Shipping & Returns

We ship seeds via Canada Post within Canada for $6 to $8 depending on weight, United States for $20, and Internationally for $20*. Live plants, bulbs, and bulbils can only be shipped within Canada.

Any shipping overages will be refunded.

 

Shipping in Canada 

We ship seeds in Canada via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-2 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order. Larger bulbs and plants are sent via tracked flat rate box.

 

Shipping to the US

We now require all US shoppers to obtain a Small Lot Seed Permit before purchasing. It's free to apply and you will likely be granted the permit instantly. To apply:

  1. Go to https://efile.aphis.usda.gov/s/
  2. Select PPQ-587 in the dropdown menu and click "Get Started".
  3. Login and follow the instructions to obtain a permit. You may list "Eligible Taxa" instead of listing all the species you'd like to import. 
  4. Once you receive your permit, email us a PDF copy, including the yellow/green coloured labels. Tell us if which USDA station you want us to send the seeds to. If not mentioned we will choose a random one. Also let us know your order number. Our email is grow@cicadaseeds.ca
  5. We are not able to send any pepper or tomato seeds, or any bulbils due to restrictions.

After receiving your documentation, we will follow all requirements for mailing your seeds. We will ship via tracked parcel. Unfortunately we are not able to replace packages that are confiscated or destroyed by customs.

 

Shipping Internationally

International orders are usually shipped via untracked packet. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held of confiscated by customs.

International shipping countries include: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom.

This list may change without notice. Sometimes Canada Post will not allow us to ship to certain countries due to wars or natural disasters, see this page for delivery service alerts: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/service-alerts.page

Please reach out if your country is not on this list, email us and we will try to arrange an alternate shipping option. 

 

If you have any issues with your order, please contact us within 60 days and we will do our best to make it right.

*Shipping fees listed here are in Canadian dollars. 

Ecologically Grown

Seeds are grown ecologically without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.

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Customer Reviews

Based on 2 reviews
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I
Izzy

Great seeds

b
betty burk
Shipping

Received the seeds with a personal note on the package within a week. Looking forward to the growing season with these new to me seeds. Thank you. I will let you know how the peppers and other seeds do in my microclimate