Pimento L pepper plant with ripe heart-shaped red fruit

How to Grow Pimento L Pepper From Seed

Updated July 2026

The Pimento L (also spelled pimiento) is a sweet, heat-free heirloom pepper prized for its plump, heart-shaped fruit and exceptionally thick, sweet flesh. It ripens from green to a deep, glossy red and carries zero heat, so it is all sweetness with no bite. This is the classic pepper behind pimento cheese and the stuffing inside green olives, and gardeners love it for its rich flavor when roasted. If you want a meaty, mild pepper that is as beautiful as it is versatile, Pimento L is a rewarding grow.

This is the quick guide to Pimento L. For the full step-by-step on starting seeds, transplanting, feeding, and troubleshooting peppers, see our complete guide to growing peppers from seed.

Quick start

Start seeds indoors about 8 weeks before your last frost, kept warm at 75 to 85F. Harden the plants off, then transplant them out 18 to 24 inches apart once nights stay above 55F. Give full sun, steady water, and a stake or cage to hold the heavy, thick-walled fruit. Pick the peppers green from about 70 to 75 days, or let them ripen fully to sweet red at around 90 days for the best flavor.

Best tip

Pimento L is easy and productive, but its thick walls take time to develop, so patience pays off. Start seeds indoors early and do not rush plants outside until nights are reliably above 55F. In hot-summer regions like Texas or Florida, give the plants a little afternoon shade during heat waves so the blossoms set instead of dropping, and let the peppers ripen all the way to deep red, when the flesh is at its sweetest and most flavorful for roasting.

At a glance

Botanical nameCapsicum annuum
Plant typeWarm-season annual
USDA zones3 to 12 (grown as an annual)
SunFull sun (6 to 8+ hours)
Days to maturity70 to 75 days green; ~90 red
Height18 to 30 inches
Spacing18 to 24 inches apart
WaterRegular and deep; keep evenly moist

Uses

Pimento L is the sweet pepper behind pimento cheese and stuffed olives. Its thick, juicy, heat-free flesh is fantastic roasted and peeled, then blended into spreads, dips, and sauces, or chopped fresh into salads and relishes. Because the walls are so meaty, it roasts and freezes beautifully, and dried and ground it makes true sweet paprika. With zero heat, it is a family favorite everyone can enjoy.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Pimento L pepper take to grow?

Pimento L is ready to pick green in about 70 to 75 days from transplant, and reaches full, sweet red ripeness at around 90 days. Because pepper seedlings are slow, start seeds indoors roughly 8 weeks before your last frost.

Is the Pimento L pepper hot or sweet?

It is completely sweet with zero heat, registering 0 on the Scoville scale. All of its flavor is rich, sweet, and heat-free, which is why it is used for pimento cheese and stuffing olives.

What does a ripe Pimento L pepper look like and when do I pick it?

The fruit is plump and heart-shaped with very thick walls, about 3 to 4 inches across. You can pick it green, but for the sweetest, meatiest flesh let it ripen all the way to a deep, glossy red.

How big does a Pimento L plant get and does it need support?

Plants grow about 18 to 30 inches tall. Because the thick-walled fruit is heavy, a stake or small cage keeps the branches from bending or breaking under the load.

Ready to grow your own? Heirloom Pimento L seeds give you plump, heart-shaped peppers with thick, sweet, heat-free flesh perfect for roasting and pimento cheese. For the full step-by-step, see our complete pepper growing guide linked at the top of this page.

Sweet Pepper Pimento L Seeds
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