VegetablePepper
Cubanella Pepper
Cubanella peppers are Caribbean-born hybrids that have earned their place in American gardens through sheer deliciousness and adaptability. These upright plants reach 40 to 45 inches tall and produce thin-walled, irregularly shaped sweet peppers with zero heat and a distinctly Caribbean character. Ready to harvest in 60 to 69 days from transplant, they thrive in zones 4 through 13 under full sun, making them accessible to gardeners across most of North America.
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
45 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
4-13
Size
45in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
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Highlights
The real draw here is the flavor: Cubanella peppers deliver an exceptionally sweet taste that's completely heat-free, making them perfect for cooks who want bold pepper flavor without fire. Their thin walls and unique, slightly lumpy shape give them a textural advantage when frying or grilling, where they soften beautifully and caramelize at the edges. As an F1 hybrid, this variety produces abundantly and matures quickly, so you'll move from transplant to first harvest in just over two months.
Common Uses
Cubanella peppers shine when fried or grilled, where their thin walls allow them to soften and char at the edges while staying tender inside. The sweet flavor with no Scoville heat makes them ideal for home cooks who want a pepper that's approachable for all palates. They work equally well in mixed dishes, stuffed applications, or simply halved and cooked with a touch of oil.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Pepper seeds germinate best in soil temperatures of 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Sow seeds at the proper depth and keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant outdoors after your last spring frost date once nighttime temperatures stay above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Space plants 18 inches apart with 36 inches between rows.
Harvesting
Cubanella peppers are ready to harvest 60 to 69 days after transplanting. Pick peppers when they reach full size with thin, glossy skin. They can be harvested at any stage from immature green through fully mature coloring, depending on your preference, though they develop their sweetest flavor once they've fully matured on the plant.
Pruning
As an upright-growing hybrid pepper, Cubanella benefits from light pruning to remove the first few flowers and encourage bushier growth in the seedling stage. This pinching back at 6 to 8 inches tall will promote a stronger, more productive plant overall.
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
“Cubanella is a novelty pepper with roots in Caribbean agriculture, specifically developed as a hybrid to combine the sweet, frying pepper traditions of the region with modern hybrid vigor. The F1 hybrid breeding brought consistency and productivity that traditional Caribbean peppers hadn't always offered, allowing this distinctive variety to cross into wider cultivation among American gardeners.”