- Open-pollinated
- Mild
- 65 days to maturity (from transplant)
- 100–500 SHU
- Green
Cubanelle
Cuban pepper · Ají cubanela
Open-pollinated mild pepper from Cuba. Long three-lobed fruit tapering to a blunt end, thin enough to fry whole and barely warm on the palate. Ready in about 65 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Mild 100–500 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated 2–4 oz (60–100 g) (estimated)
Slightly tapered pods 12 to 15 cm long and 5 to 6 cm across at the shoulder, three lobed, narrowing to a blunt rounded end, thin-walled.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 65 days from transplant · Early
- Plant height
- 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) (estimated) Compact
- Spacing
- 18 × 24 in (46 × 61 cm) (estimated)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Position
- Handles open positions
- Growing sites
- Greenhouse · Open ground · Container
- Container growing
- Balcony friendly min. 5 gal (20 L) pot (estimated)
- Difficulty
- Easy-moderate (estimated) 2/5
- Skin
-
- Green
- Red
Heat
Scoville heat units
Mild
Cubanelle Scoville heat units: 100–500 SHU
Warm rather than hot, around a Cubanelle, a Pepperoncini or a Shishito. Most people eat these without reaching for water.
Flavor
“Long three-lobed fruit tapering to a blunt end, thin enough to fry whole and barely warm on the palate.”
Growing calendar
65 days from transplant Early
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 7–9 (estimated) weeks before your last frost date. Look up your last frost date by ZIP code →
Disease resistance
No documented disease resistances — protect this variety with good airflow and crop rotation.
Uses & tags
- Roasting
- Stuffing
- Fresh & salads
- Short season
- Beginner friendly
- Container star
Origin
Cubanelle is the Cuban frying pepper, listed by the Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions compendium as an open-pollinated cultivar with slightly tapered fruit of about 140 by 60 mm and 65 days to harvest. Seed suppliers give the same day count and describe three-lobed fruit tapering to a blunt end, picked while pale green for frying or left to ripen red. It is a mild Italian-style frying pepper, listed between 100 and 500 Scoville units.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyLinks may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Oct 16, 2026.
All photos
Questions
How do you grow a Cubanelle plant?
A Cubanelle plant grows 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart in rows 24 in (61 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 7–9 weeks before your last frost (estimated); it germinates in 7–21 days. It needs full sun.
How long does Cubanelle take to mature?
Cubanelle is ready in about 65 days from transplant.
How hot is Cubanelle?
Cubanelle sits in the mild range, about 100–500 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Cubanelle be grown in a container?
Yes — Cubanelle grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Cubanelle resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Cubanelle.
