- Heirloom
- Hot
- 125 days to maturity (from transplant)
- 50,000–100,000 SHU
- Red
Birdseye Chili
Bird's Eye · Thai Birdseye
Heirloom hot pepper from Thailand. Immediate sharp heat with very little flesh behind it, used whole and often uncut. Ready in about 125 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Oct 2, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Hot 50,000–100,000 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated <1 oz (1–3 g) (estimated)
Tiny erect pods about 25 mm, pointing upward in clusters above the leaves.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 125 days from transplant · Late
- Plant height
- 1½–2½ ft (46–76 cm) Medium height
- Spacing
- 18 × 24 in (46 × 61 cm)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Balcony friendly min. 3 gal (15 L) pot (estimated)
- Difficulty
- Moderate (estimated) 3/5
- Skin
-
- Red
- Yellow
- Green
Heat
Scoville heat units
Hot
Birdseye Chili Scoville heat units: 50,000–100,000 SHU
Properly hot, the Tabasco, Cayenne Purple and Aji Amarillo band, with Chiltepin at the top of it. Used in small amounts, seeds removed if you want less.
Flavor
“Immediate sharp heat with very little flesh behind it, used whole and often uncut.”
Growing calendar
125 days from transplant Late
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 6–8 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Drying
- Sauce & paste
- Canning
- Hot climate
- Container star
- High flavor
- Rare collector
Origin
Birdseye is the small upright chile of South-East Asian cooking, named for its size rather than for any single cultivar — the name covers a family of closely related small hot peppers grown from Thailand to East Africa. True Leaf Market lists this selection at 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville heat units over 120 to 129 days from transplant, which is a long season for so small a fruit. The pods stand up in clusters above the foliage, which is why birds find them and mammals mostly do not: birds are insensitive to capsaicin and spread the seed intact.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyAll photos
Questions
How do you grow a Birdseye Chili plant?
A Birdseye Chili plant grows 1½–2½ ft (46–76 cm) tall. Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart in rows 24 in (61 cm) apart. Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–10 days. It needs full sun.
How long does Birdseye Chili take to mature?
Birdseye Chili is ready in about 125 days from transplant.
How hot is Birdseye Chili?
Birdseye Chili sits in the hot range, about 50,000–100,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Birdseye Chili be grown in a container?
Yes — Birdseye Chili grows well in a container of at least 15 L (3 gal).
Is Birdseye Chili resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Birdseye Chili.
