- Heirloom
- Medium
- 85 days to maturity (from transplant)
- 5,000–15,000 SHU
- Yellow
Hungarian Yellow Wax
Hungarian Hot Wax · Hungarian Long Wax · Hot Banana
Heirloom medium pepper from Hungary. Waxy yellow fruit ripening crimson, medium-thick walled and several times hotter than a jalapeño. Ready in about 85 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Medium 5,000–15,000 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated 1–2 oz (40–70 g) (estimated)
Smooth waxy pods 13 to 15 cm long and about 4 to 5 cm across at the shoulder, tapering to a point, pale waxy yellow ripening through orange to crimson; some pods stand upright and some hang, thick-walled.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 85 days from transplant · Mid-late
- 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
-
- Yellow
- Red
Heat
Scoville heat units
Medium
Hungarian Yellow Wax Scoville heat units: 5,000–15,000 SHU
Noticeable heat. Mucho Nacho, the jumbo jalapeño, sits at the bottom of this band and Hungarian Yellow Wax near the middle. Hot enough to lead a salsa, mild enough to eat whole.
Flavor
“Waxy yellow fruit ripening crimson, medium-thick walled and several times hotter than a jalapeño.”
Growing calendar
85 days from transplant Mid-late
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
- Canning
- Roasting
- Fresh & salads
- Heirloom classic
- Container star
- High yield
Origin
Hungarian Yellow Wax is an open-pollinated heirloom recorded by the Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions compendium as ripening in 58 to 85 days, with medium-thick walls, fruit around 203 by 51 mm tapering to a point, and a waxy yellow skin turning crimson. Seed suppliers give the same day range and place it several times hotter than a jalapeño despite a shape that resembles a banana pepper. A separate sweet strain is sold under a similar name, so the hot and sweet forms are easy to confuse at the rack.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyAll photos
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Ripe Hungarian Yellow Wax pepper pods on the plant -
Hungarian Yellow Wax pepper plant with ripe pods -
A ripe Hungarian Yellow Wax pepper pod held in a gardener's hand -
Freshly picked Hungarian Yellow Wax peppers -
A Hungarian Yellow Wax pepper cut open lengthwise beside a whole pod, showing the wall and seed cavity
Questions
How do you grow a Hungarian Yellow Wax (hungarian hot wax) plant?
A Hungarian Yellow Wax 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 7–14 days. It needs full sun.
How long does Hungarian Yellow Wax take to mature?
Hungarian Yellow Wax is ready in about 85 days from transplant.
How hot is Hungarian Yellow Wax?
Hungarian Yellow Wax sits in the medium range, about 5,000–15,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Hungarian Yellow Wax be grown in a container?
Yes — Hungarian Yellow Wax grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Hungarian Yellow Wax resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Hungarian Yellow Wax.
