I got my goatsweed from a friend, who brought the seeds back from vietnam in 2002 and I have been growing them ever since. I never knew what they were called and when I joined the hot pepper forum I posted pictures and got immediate responses.....goatsweed... now I wanted them to be "thai dragons" or "vietnam super hots" or "killer scorpians" but no, I had to live with goatsweed baaaaaaaa!
The plant is just plain pretty with fuzzy white fir on the stems and when they flower the plant is usually overwhelmed with white umbrella like flowers, then the plants starts to produce and produce pods it does. Like the video shows, the pods point upwards and start out green, then they turn black and then finally the pods turn a brilliant shiny red. I wouldn't eat a fresh whole pod but I do slice them up and chew on the smaller pieces throughout the day, they keep my inners warm during out very cold winters. The seeds in the pod run the full length of the pod, thus the feeling of a very seedy pod but I am guessing that is what gives a pod its long lasting heat, as the placenta runs the length of the pod, versus pods that have seeds congested around the stem. The pod flavour is pungent with an extremely red bell pepper flavour(not sweet), as Scott describes "peppery".
The plant is very hearty as well and overwinter very nicely, they tolerate cool weather 5C, I don't know about top heat level as my hottest day (on the rarest occasion) may hit 30C(max). I have had plants live for 4 years.
I won't be growing tepins again as they weren't designed for my growing conditions, they hate any type of weather change. Its almost like the tepin is the sissy of the pepper world: hates cool weather, hates rain, hates wind, hates any type of change in conditions and with any type of change the plant sheds its leaves. Twice this year my plant has gone almost bald.
