40 Best Sweet Pepper Varieties with Descriptions and Characteristics

Most gardeners grow bell peppers. The bright, juicy fruits are eaten fresh and used for preserves and cooking. They can be grown in any region; you just need to choose the right varieties. Let's look at the best varieties of sweet (bell) peppers based on ripening time, flavor, and planting methods.

Benefits of Growing Sweet Pepper Varieties

Sweet peppers are annuals. Many gardeners like to collect their own seeds for further cultivation. This can only be done when growing bell pepper varieties. Hybrid peppers produce inferior seeds, which do not reproduce the characteristics and features of the parent plant.

To obtain seeds, healthy plants with the most beautiful, developed fruits are selected and allowed to fully ripen on the bush. Many gardeners obtain seeds of much higher quality than store-bought ones.

Note: Hybrids are renowned for their higher yields and disease resistance.

We select the variety depending on the ripening period

Ripening time is determined by the time it takes for a plant to develop from sprouting to ripe fruit formation. The variety description contains information about ripening time. By choosing different pepper varieties, you can ensure you have enough fruit for the entire season.

The best early and mid-season varieties of bell peppers

Early varieties yield a harvest 90-110 days after mass germination. The earliest varieties can be harvested after 80-90 days. Planting seedlings helps speed up harvesting. This method is used in colder regions, where the peppers would otherwise not have time to ripen.

Orange miracle

The tall Orange Miracle bush requires training and support. It ripens in 95-110 days. The flesh is tender and juicy, with a distinctly sweet flavor. Fruits weigh 200-250 grams and are cube-shaped. They have a high yield of 7-10 kilograms per square meter.

Gogoshary

This tomato-shaped pepper grows low, but requires support due to the large fruit. It ripens in 110 days and is a very heat-loving variety, as it originates from Moldova. The peppers weigh 50-130 grams, are sweet and fragrant, and do not taste bitter. They ripen well indoors.

cabin boy

The fruits ripen in 105-115 days, but turn red after 135 days. They are cone-shaped and weigh 130-170 grams. The bush is short and limited in growth, with the peppers growing in clusters in different directions.

Big Mama

The orange beauty Big Mama can be a beautiful addition to your garden. The fruits are large, almost cylindrical, with slight ribs. The walls often reach 12 millimeters. This variety is productive (up to 7 kilograms per square meter). The average ripening period is 120 days.

Big Daddy

This variety produces blue-light blue flowers and purple fruits, turning cherry red when ripe. The walls grow to 5-7 millimeters. The bush is medium-sized and bears fruit quickly, in 95-105 days.

Atlas

This mid-season variety ripens in 130 days. The peppers grow up to 22 centimeters and weigh 180-190 grams. The flavor is excellent – ​​sweet and juicy, with no bitterness.

Martin

Cone-shaped peppers don't grow very large (100 grams). The bushes are short, determinate, and standard-shaped. Ripens in 115-120 days.

Funtik

A wonderful variety for growing in challenging conditions, one of the most undemanding. Its shape is a cone with numerous folds and bends. An early variety, it ripens in 110-120 days.

Merchant

Kupetsa bushes grow up to 80 centimeters, with peppers growing downwards. The early variety produces fruit 100 days after germination. The peppers are wide, cone-shaped, ribbed, and weigh approximately 100 grams.

Beloserka

The peppers change color from green to yellow, turning red when ripe. They weigh 80-100 grams, and their wall width is 5-8 millimeters.

The best late-ripening varieties of sweet peppers

There's no point in growing late-ripening sweet pepper varieties in cold regions; they won't have time to mature. Technical maturity is 140-150 days.

Marshmallow

A late variety, ripening in over 150 days. It's spherical in shape, weighing up to 300 grams, thick-walled, and sweet.

Bogatyr

It's easy to care for, although the bush is fragile and requires support. It has a conical shape and weighs up to 200 grams. It yields up to 7 kilograms per square meter.

Hercules

A high-yielding and easy-to-grow sweet pepper. Large fruits (350 grams) turn bright red when ripe. The bush requires support due to the weight of the fruit. The succulent walls grow up to a centimeter.

Yellow bell

The fruits turn from green to yellow as they grow, weighing 150-170 grams. The yield per square meter is 2-6 kilograms.

California Miracle

It's one of the sweetest varieties, with fruit colors that vary. Its very fleshy walls grow up to 12 millimeters. The bush grows tall—up to a meter—and requires support.

Ruby

Technical maturity – 140 days. Small bush, up to 60 centimeters tall. Peppers are round-flattened, not very large, with thickened walls.

The most popular hybrids

Let's highlight several varieties that are traditionally the most common in summer cottages.

F1 athlete

A favorite among gardeners, this early-ripening hybrid (110 days) produces fruits weighing 330-400 grams, with thick, juicy walls and excellent flavor. The bush is tall and produces better fruit when grown in a greenhouse. In warmer regions, it can be grown outdoors.

Gemini F1

The peppers are distinguished by their uniform growth, earning them the nickname "twins." This Dutch hybrid produces sweet, canary-yellow fruits.

Fat Man F1

Large peppers (250-300 grams) grow on low bushes and are distinguished by their sweet taste and bright, glossy surface.

Early F1 miracle

Peppers ripen quickly (95-110 days). Yields are 12-13 kilograms per square meter. Fruits weigh up to 240 grams and have a bright, glossy finish.

Sweet varieties for planting in a greenhouse

Greenhouse cultivation of bell peppers is best for regions with short, cool summers. The selection of varieties is impressive; here are the best.

Ox ear

The pepper grows up to 16 centimeters, and its juicy flesh isn't bitter even when unripe. The bush is no taller than 70 centimeters.

The Fat Baron

The pepper is considered early maturing (100 days), with tall bushes and vigorous foliage. The fruits are equally impressive, weighing up to 300-400 grams.

Miracle Tree F1

A true tree, the bush grows up to 1.8 meters. The fruits are prismatic and weigh 35-40 grams. The peppers are easy to preserve whole. This is a rare variety of bell pepper that thrives in low light conditions. Low light and cloudy weather do not slow down the growth.

Poplar

The peppers are conical in shape, with a smooth stem, dense, and even. This early-ripening variety can be grown in any region, and thrives in greenhouses.

The fruits are medium-sized, non-bitter, and have thin walls. They are ideal for stuffing.

Pharaoh F1

This early-ripening hybrid produces medium-sized plants that are resistant to tobacco mosaic disease. Peppers weigh 120-140 grams and store and transport well.

Ivanhoe

This popular pepper variety is grown in greenhouses and outdoors. The walls are 6-7 millimeters thick, juicy and sweet. The bush is small and requires no training. The cone is slightly elongated, weighing 120-140 grams. The color is white, fading to red.

A gift from Moldova

This variety has been around since 1978, but it hasn't faded into obscurity among modern hybrids or lost its popularity. The light green peppers turn red as they ripen and have a smooth cone shape. The fruits are small, weighing up to 100 grams. The skin is tender, and the walls are 5-6 millimeters thick.

The fruits have a distinct peppery flavor, for which they are prized by gardeners.

Varieties for open ground

Sweet peppers grow well outdoors in southern regions; late-ripening varieties ripen only here. When planting peppers in the central part of the country, choose early and mid-season varieties.

Cherry

These small peppers resemble tomatoes and are one of the smallest varieties. They are known for their high yield and quick ripening. The peppers are sweet and used for preserves. Many gardeners complain about the thick skin, which reduces the flavor.

Nikita

A high-yielding hybrid developed by French breeders. It produces uniformly shaped and sized fruits. Initially creamy in color, the fruits mature to red. They weigh 180-200 grams. They have a long shelf life and are well-suited for transportation.

Kapiya

This mid-early variety ripens in 115 days. The fruits are elongated and conical, weighing up to 150 grams. The bush grows up to a meter, requiring staking and support. The peppers are eaten fresh, preserved, and frozen.

Red Elephant

The yield is up to 7 kilograms per square meter. This pepper grows up to 22 centimeters and is classified as a long-fruited variety. It grows on robust bushes with dense foliage. The Red Elephant has a light peppery aroma and sweet flesh. Its color ranges from green to red.

Yolo Wonder

Producers claim this is an improved variety derived from the California Miracle. The fruits are uniform in shape and size, thick-walled, and shaped like a smooth cube. The dark green color turns red when ripe, and the peppers are smooth and glossy.

Selecting a variety for Siberian regions

In Siberia, the crop is grown in greenhouses and open ground, with preference given to early-ripening varieties. Many gardeners choose Siberian-bred varieties, which are considered more reliable and adapted to the conditions. However, varieties such as "Apelsin," "Californian Miracle," "Atlant," and many others have proven themselves in Siberia.

Sweet chocolate

These delicious peppers, which acquire a chocolate color as they ripen, were bred in Siberia. They are elongated cone-shaped and weigh 80-100 grams. The juicy walls, up to 5-7 millimeters thick, have a sweet taste and a distinctive aroma.

Golden calf

Once ripe, the peppers turn golden-yellow. The fruits weigh 120-180 grams, have thick walls (8 millimeters), and have excellent flavor.

Dandy

The peppers grow on low bushes and are barrel-shaped with ribs. They are yellow in color and weigh 170-220 grams. Shchegol is considered a high-yielding variety, recommended for Siberia.

Dominator

Dominator ripens in mid-season, growing to no more than 70 centimeters tall. The fruiting period is long. When ripe, the fruit takes on a distinct dark red color.

Black Horse

At the technical stage of ripeness, the peppers are more like eggplants in color, turning red as they ripen. The fruits weigh 160-220 grams, are very aromatic and sweet, and have fleshy walls.

Sweet snake

The fruits are no more than 1-2 centimeters in diameter and grow up to 25 centimeters in length. They often bend and twist. They have a sweet taste and a peppery aroma. This variety is very productive; if the fruits are picked promptly, the ovaries will form and ripen before the cold weather sets in.

A wide selection of sweet pepper varieties and hybrids makes it possible to grow this popular vegetable in any region. The key is to follow proper agricultural practices and take good care of your plants. This will ensure that any variety exhibits its best qualities and yields.