VegetablePepper
Sweet Heat Pepper
Sweet Heat Pepper lives up to its name by delivering genuine complexity in a compact plant. These 10-18 inch tall peppers produce 3-4 inch fruits that shift from green to a vibrant red as they mature, reaching harvest in just 50-59 days from transplant. What makes this variety remarkable is the paradox at its core: it packs mild heat around 300 Scoville Heat Units (comparable to a sweet banana pepper) alongside genuine sweetness, giving gardeners the thrill of spice without the burn. Hardy enough for zones 4-13 and comfortable in containers, raised beds, or garden rows, Sweet Heat works as an heirloom, open-pollinated pepper that thrives in full sun.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
4-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Growth Stats
18 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
4-13
Size
18in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
The magic of Sweet Heat lies in its unexpected flavor balance. You get the psychological excitement of a hot pepper plant with the actual eating experience of something approachable and sweet, making it perfect for gardeners who want the pride of growing peppers without the fire. The compact upright growth habit means it fits easily into small spaces, and the quick 50-59 day timeline means you'll have ripe red fruit long before summer ends. This is a genuinely useful pepper for everyday cooking rather than a novelty.
Common Uses
Sweet Heat peppers work beautifully in any fresh preparation where you want pepper flavor without intense heat. Slice them into salads, stuff them whole for roasting, or use them raw in salsas where their sweetness and gentle warmth complement tomatoes and onions without overwhelming other ingredients. They're also excellent candidates for grilling, frying, or adding to stir-fries where their mild Scoville rating makes them family-friendly while still delivering genuine pepper character.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Peppers germinate best in warm soil (around 70-80°F) and benefit from bottom heat. Keep soil consistently moist but not soggy. Transplants are ready to move outdoors once they have 2-3 true leaves and conditions have warmed.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed to at least 60°F, ideally 65-70°F or warmer. Harden off seedlings gradually by exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7-10 days before final planting. Space plants 18 inches apart in full sun, with 36 inches between rows if growing in rows.
Harvesting
Harvest peppers when they reach full size (3-4 inches long) and have turned from green to red, typically 50-59 days after transplanting. You can harvest at the green stage if you prefer, but waiting for the red color delivers sweeter, more developed flavor. Peppers are ready to pick when they feel firm and glossy. Use a sharp knife or pruners to cut peppers from the plant rather than pulling, which can damage branches.
Pruning
Because Sweet Heat grows in a naturally compact, upright habit, minimal pruning is needed. You can remove lower leaves once the plant is established to improve air circulation and reduce disease pressure, and pinching back the growing tip early in the season encourages bushier growth and more fruit production.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Capsicum annuum
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Capsicum
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (NI)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)
History & Origin
“Sweet Heat Pepper is offered as an heirloom, open-pollinated variety, positioning it within the broader movement of gardeners preserving and growing traditional pepper cultivars. The catalog description emphasizes its non-GMO, open-pollinated status, signaling that this is a variety worth saving seeds from year to year, carrying forward the lineage of gardeners who valued both flavor and the ability to propagate their own stock.”