September 2000

SEPTEMBER

Purira Chile Pepper

Capsicum frutescens

Origin: South America

You’ve heard folks boast about how hot the Habanero is…well, this pepper has a burn that’s equal to or more. The Purira bears an abundant supply of sizzling hot fruits that grow upright and are pointed. The fruits start yellow with purple blotches and then begin to change colors as they get hotter and hotter. When fully ripe, at a fiery orange-red color, they are so intense that they could not be measured on the Scoville scale that measures a pepper’s heat!

So why would I list such a pepper? Because it works well for parrots and other fruit-eating birds. You see birds don’t have moist membranes in their mouths so no matter how hot the pepper, it won’t bother them.

The size of the Purira (approximately 2 inches in length) and it’s flashy colors will catch the eye of the bigger parrots. My African Grey and Green Winged Macaw munch these peppers down with no problem.

And since fresh hot peppers are loaded with vitamins A and C, I encourage them to eat as many as they want.

The Purira is fairly easy to grow because it is disease resistant and matures in about 70 days. I give my plants full sun, water as needed, and bring them inside when the temperatures begin to get into the low 40’s F.