Orange Sun Pepper is a vibrant, open-pollinated sweet pepper that deserves a place in any vegetable garden where warmth meets ambition. This heirloom variety produces thick-fleshed peppers that shift from green to brilliant orange as they mature, each fruit measuring 4 to 5 inches long with a distinctive 3 to 4-lobed shape. Ready to harvest in 70 to 79 days from transplant, it thrives in full sun across hardiness zones 4 through 13, growing into an upright plant 24 to 36 inches tall. With zero heat and excellent flavor, Orange Sun delivers the sweetness and quality you'd expect from a carefully preserved heirloom.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
4-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam With Organic Matter
Preferred Temp70-85°F
Growth Stats
36 in
Height
—
Width
18 in
Spacing
70–79
Days to Harvest
PeriodAnnual
TypeBush
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
4-13
Size
36in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
What sets Orange Sun apart is its combination of visual drama and genuine flavor depth. The thick flesh creates a satisfying bite and excellent eating quality that distinguishes it from thinner-walled pepper varieties. Its compact upright habit and moderate height make it manageable in gardens, raised beds, and even greenhouses, while the gradual color shift from green to orange gives you flexibility in when to harvest. The open-pollinated genetics mean you can save seeds year after year, making this pepper an investment in future seasons.
Common Uses
Orange Sun is a fresh-eating pepper designed for those who want maximum flavor with zero heat. Slice it raw into salads where its sweetness shines, roast it whole to caramelize the flesh, or use it as a vibrant stuffing pepper that holds its shape beautifully when baked. The thick walls make it ideal for grilling or sautéing, where the char enhances its natural sweetness.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Mid-spring
First Harvest
Mid-summer
Last Harvest
Late Summer
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost, planting them 1/4 inch deep in warm, moist seed-starting mix. Keep soil temperature around 70-80°F for reliable germination, which typically occurs within 7 to 14 days. Provide strong light once seedlings emerge to prevent leggy growth.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions before planting. Transplant outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and soil temperature reaches at least 60°F, preferably 65-70°F. Space plants 18 inches apart with 36 inches between rows, setting them slightly deeper than they were growing in their containers.
Harvesting
Harvest peppers when they reach full size (4 to 5 inches long) at any stage of color development. For maximum sweetness and vitamin C content, wait until fruits mature fully from green to orange, which takes approximately 70 to 79 days from transplant. Peppers will feel firm and have glossy skin when ready. Cut peppers from the plant with pruning shears rather than pulling to avoid damaging the stem.
Pruning
No formal pruning is necessary for Orange Sun given its upright, naturally compact growth habit. However, removing the first flowers that appear early in the season encourages stronger root development and more prolific fruiting later on. Pinch back the central stem if plants become too tall or leggy.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Piper ponapense C. DC.
Family
Solanaceae
Genus
Piper
Duration
Annual
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (NI)HI (I)PR (I)VI (I)
History & Origin
“Orange Sun is an heirloom pepper with the reliability and adaptability that comes from generations of gardeners saving and replanting its seeds. As an open-pollinated variety, it represents the kind of crop that sustained home gardeners and small farms before the dominance of hybrid seed, the kind where each pepper plant grown becomes a link in an unbroken chain stretching back decades. The exact origins are not documented in available sources, but its presence in catalogs as a celebrated sweet pepper speaks to its proven performance and the trust gardeners place in it.”