Chili Pepper: Zimbabwe Bird

This has to be the prettiest chili plant I have in my collection. Despite the fruit’s small size they pack a real punch and the plant is a heavy producer.

Taste:

I have only eaten this raw in salads and haven’t cooked with it. Although https://pepperheadsforlife.com puts it at a mere 200,000 – 350,000 SHU I found it to be pretty potent pound for pound. 🙂

It’s sweet but powerful bite hits you around the sides of your mouth and then spreads warmly to the back of your throat. I prefer that to the chilis that hit you on your tongue first.

Flower:

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Fruit:

20170518 zim bird.jpg

Plant:

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Fruiting Months:

December to May

Please see my Grow It Perth calendar.

Planting/Care:

 

It took a while for the seedling I bought to fruit initially so don’t panic. Apparently this is a fickle variety of chili but I have not done anything special and have had great luck.

I use a middle range nitrogen and high potassium fertiliser regieme during the summer months. Soil is improved with compost and manure and has a ~5-10% by weight of clay to sand ratio. Drainage is still good.

I ususally spray my chili plants with Dipel and pyrethrum my go to natural insecticide spray. The tomato grub in particular likes the larger fleshier chilis like the Trinidad Scorpion. However nothing seems to bother this particular chili so I don’t spray it with anything.

GICICI Chili Plants
ChiliS.H.UComments
7 pot primo1,200,000I got this beast of a chili from @Cantstandtheheat. See them on Facebook.
bhut jolokia1,000,000
black pearl30,000
cayenne50,000
choc moruga scorpion2,000,000I got this amazing looking chili from @Cantstandtheheat. See them on Facebook.
habanero orange200,000
hoa lat
hungarian black10,000
jalapeno6,000Literally my favourite chili!
tepin300,000
thai100,000
TS butch t1,400,000TS stands for Trinidad Scorpion. HOT HOT HOT 🙂
TS cardi800,000TS stands for Trinidad Scorpion. HOT HOT HOT 🙂
yellow wax15,000A very very mild chili great for adding crunch to salads.
zimbabwe bird200,000Spicy little fruit and my most beautiful chili plant.

Related Links:
  • see more posts about growing chilis here
  • see more cooking with chili posts here
  • go to all meal ingredients here
  • go the Grow It Perth calendar
  • see a work in progress map of edible plant species here

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