VegetablePepper
Chinese Giant Pepper
Chinese Giant Pepper is an open-pollinated heirloom sweet pepper that produces some of the largest fruits you'll grow in a home garden. These blocky, almost squared peppers measure 6 inches tall by 4.5 inches in diameter, starting dark green and ripening to a brilliant cherry red. With 80 to 89 days from transplant to harvest, thick, mild flesh, and zero heat, this variety thrives in garden beds, raised beds, and greenhouses across hardiness zones 4 through 13. It's a gardener's dream for fresh eating, stuffing, and roasting.
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
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
The sheer size of Chinese Giant peppers is remarkable. Each fruit arrives as an almost perfect square with dimensions that dwarf most other sweet pepper varieties, yet the thick walls never sacrifice tenderness. Starting as deep forest green before turning a jewel-toned cherry red, these peppers look as striking as they taste. The sweet, mild flavor with absolutely no heat makes them approachable for any palate, and they perform equally well in containers, garden plots, and sheltered greenhouse spaces.
Common Uses
Chinese Giant peppers excel at stuffing, roasting, and grilling thanks to their spacious cavity and thick, durable walls. Fresh slicing for salads and crudités showcases their natural sweetness, while their substantial size makes them efficient for batch cooking. They can be diced for stir-fries, charred whole over flame for romesco sauce, or preserved through freezing, drying, or pickling.
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. Keep soil warm (70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit) and maintain consistent moisture until germination occurs. Seedlings need strong light once they emerge to prevent legginess.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed and soil has warmed to at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit, ideally 65 to 70 degrees. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days, increasing outdoor exposure each day. Space plants 18 inches apart with 36 inches between rows.
Harvesting
Harvest when peppers reach full size (6 inches tall by 4.5 inches in diameter) and have turned a deep, glossy cherry red for maximum sweetness and flavor. For a slightly earlier harvest with more peppers, pick at the mature green stage and use within a few days. Use a clean knife or pruners to cut peppers from the stem rather than pulling, which can damage the plant. Continued harvesting through the season extends production.
Pruning
With its upright, compact growth habit reaching 18 to 24 inches, Chinese Giant rarely requires significant pruning. You may 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 can encourage a bushier, more productive form.
Growing Calendar
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
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
“Chinese Giant represents a line of beloved heirloom peppers preserved and celebrated by open-pollinated seed traditions. As an heirloom cultivar, this variety has been maintained by successive generations of gardeners who saved seeds from their finest plants, keeping the genetics pure and the characteristics consistent. The name and origin reflect its roots in Chinese horticultural practice, where large, sweet peppers have long held cultural and culinary value.”