VegetablePepper
Orange King Bell Pepper
Orange King Bell Pepper is a bright, blocky sweet pepper that lives up to its sunrise-colored name with thick, juicy walls and zero heat. This open-pollinated heirloom annual produces generous yields of 4-inch peppers in 80 to 89 days from transplant, thriving in zones 4 through 13 with full sun and moderate water. Whether you're growing in containers, raised beds, or garden plots, Orange King delivers the sweet, meaty pepper flavor that makes fresh salads and roasted dishes sing.
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
24 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
4-13
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
The color alone is worth growing this variety, a brilliant orange that looks like liquid sunshine captured in a pepper. Its walls are thick enough to feel substantial in your hand and sweet enough to eat raw, with no Scoville heat whatsoever. Orange King is drought tolerant and high-yielding, meaning one compact 18 to 24-inch plant produces more peppers than you might expect, and they handle the stress of container gardening without complaint.
Common Uses
Orange King shines in any application where you want the pepper itself to be the star. The thick walls and sweet flesh make it exceptional raw, sliced into salads or enjoyed as a crunchy snack with dip. These peppers are equally at home roasted whole until the skin chars and softens, or stuffed with grains, cheese, or vegetables for a satisfying main course. The meaty texture holds up well to grilling and makes excellent additions to stir-fries where you want substance rather than just flavor.
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 in temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, and provide bright light once seedlings emerge. Transplants should be stocky and 2 to 3 inches tall before hardening off.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off transplants over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions. Transplant outdoors only after all frost danger has passed and soil has warmed. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows 36 inches apart. In cooler zones, consider waiting until soil reaches 60 degrees Fahrenheit for best establishment.
Harvesting
Peppers reach full size at 4 inches and can be harvested at any stage from green maturity through full orange color. For the sweetest flavor and thickest walls, wait until peppers turn a vibrant orange, which takes 80 to 89 days from transplant. Harvest by cutting the pepper from the stem with a knife rather than pulling, to avoid damaging the plant. Continue picking mature peppers to encourage further flowering and fruiting.
Pruning
Orange King's upright, compact growth habit (18 to 24 inches tall) requires minimal pruning. Remove any damaged or diseased leaves as they appear, and pinch off the first flower cluster when transplants are young to encourage a stronger plant structure. Beyond that, allow the plant to develop naturally.
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
“Orange King carries the credentials of an heirloom open-pollinated variety, preserving genetics that have been passed through gardeners' hands across generations. As an heirloom cultivar within the Capsicum annuum species, it represents the kind of stable, true-breeding pepper that home gardeners have selected and saved for reliable performance and consistent flavor.”