The mature chillies I left growing never stopped flowering and making miniature pods.
The ones I cut back, repotted into smaller pots or were small when winter came, never did well. Either too cold or too wet. And now they are doing mutant things, something might be in the water
Got an old thai chilli plant I cut back to the absolute bare stump due to insect damage. It's alive, and forming new growth, but all really narrow thin leaves that don't look like a chilli plant at all.
Got another one that wasn't growing sets of leaves just a pair at a time, but two sets of leaves side by side; and another has forked leaves, like two leaves in one like Siamese twins.
But the three not naga "looks like a habernero, should be something else, grows like an annuum" plants did OK over winter, though the yellow hab is making mini orange habs now, and even the red hab is making orange mini habs. The one that never podded before last summer is making 'something' now too.
Also all 4 seeds I planted in April even though they stayed small all winter (probably only 20-25cm tall) are flowering and podding now.
Edit:
I'm always picking the baby ripe chillies off the "looks like a habernero, should be something else, grows like an annuum" plants, as they aren't doing anyone any good, no point the plant putting energy into them.
Had a bunch of them last week, not that hot.
I went and picked a bunch today and ate a few. Whoah! Thats really hot! Tiny, but pack a punch!
All winter, yeah I've been having hot sauces and pastes and powders, but it's not the same. It makes me sweat, makes my mouth feel warm, burns coming out, but that's it.
Enviously watching and reading people in the northern hemisphere eat pods.
It's the tongue numbing, drooling, stomach hurting burn I love, not the sweaty head from a hot sauce.
Just got that fresh pod feeling just then! I can't wait for the hotter pods.