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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 November 22, 2025: 60%
  • Approximately 20-25 seeds per packet
$6.95 CAD
$6.95 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!

Seeds can be tricky to germinate, and benefit from special treatment. See “Growing Instructions” tab below. These seeds are from 2023 but I'm still getting 60% sprouting in germination tests.

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.

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By placing an order, customers agree to the shipping & refund policies detailed on this page.

Most orders are sent via Canada Post to keep costs low.

 

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We ship seeds in Canada via Canada Post's regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-4 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order, but occasionally letter mail takes up to 6 weeks, especially to the Eastern provinces and rural areas.

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International customers can select tracked or untracked shipping at checkout. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. We are not able to send any live plant materials internationally. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held or confiscated by customs, or for any additional duties or tariffs placed on your order.

International shipping countries include: Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom. (List updated Aug 31, 2026)

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.

 

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Ecologically Grown

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

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