- Heirloom
- No heat
- 72 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- 0–500 SHU
- Yellow
Sweet Banana
Banana Pepper · Yellow Wax
Heirloom no heat pepper from United States. Waxy yellow pods with thick sweet walls, tangy enough to pickle well and sweeter still if left to redden. Ready in about 72 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- No heat 0–500 SHU
- Pod
- Elongated 1–2 oz (40–60 g) (estimated)
Long tapering pod with a waxy skin, curving slightly like the fruit it is named after, thick-walled.
- Species
- Capsicum annuum
- Days to harvest
- 72 days (estimated) from transplant · Midseason
- Plant height
- 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) 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 (estimated) 1/5
- Skin
-
- Yellow
- Red
Heat
Scoville heat units
No heat
Sweet Banana Scoville heat units: 0–500 SHU
No heat at all, the band California Wonder and Jimmy Nardello sit in. Sweet enough to eat raw by the handful, and it includes Habanada, a habanero with the heat bred out.
Flavor
“Waxy yellow pods with thick sweet walls, tangy enough to pickle well and sweeter still if left to redden.”
Growing calendar
72 (estimated) days from transplant Midseason
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
- Fresh & salads
- Canning
- Stuffing
- Snacking
- Heirloom classic
- Beginner friendly
- Container star
- Kid friendly
Origin
Sweet Banana came from the Corneli Seed Company, which recorded it as arising from a mutation. The Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions compendium describes thick, sweet flesh walls, bright yellow colour and a shape and size suited to pickling, grouping it with the yellow wax types and noting wide adaptation. It is the pepper most American shoppers picture under the name banana pepper, and is not the same thing as the hot Hungarian wax types that share its shape.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked daily- True Leaf MarketSeeds
300mg Pkg (3x4)
Check availability
$2.99Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Botanical InterestsSeeds
Packet size not listed
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$2.99Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Sandia Seed CompanySeeds
30 seeds
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$3.99Checked Oct 16, 2026 - Pepper Joe'sLive plant
1 Seedling
Check availability
$8.99Checked Oct 16, 2026
Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices checked Oct 16, 2026.
All photos
Questions
How do you grow a Sweet Banana (banana pepper) plant?
A Sweet Banana plant grows 1½–2 ft (46–61 cm) tall. 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 Sweet Banana take to mature?
Sweet Banana is ready in about 72 days from transplant.
How hot is Sweet Banana?
Sweet Banana sits in the no heat range, about 0–500 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Sweet Banana be grown in a container?
Yes — Sweet Banana grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Sweet Banana resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Sweet Banana.
