'Yolo Wonder' Bell Pepper - Capsicum annuum

'Yolo Wonder' Bell Pepper – robust bell pepper with large, fruity-sweet fruits. 

This variety is an early-ripening, compact bell pepper with large, heavy fruits that turn from green to bright red. It stands out with its fruity-sweet, crisp flavor and is ideally suited for greenhouse, protected outdoor cultivation, and container growing. Robust, high-yielding, and open-pollinated – perfect for self-sufficiency and organic farming.

  Origin & History

‘Yolo Wonder’ is an open-pollinated bell pepper developed in 1952 in Yolo County, California (USA). The variety was bred at the University of California, Davis, in response to the demand for a robust, high-yielding pepper that would thrive reliably even under variable conditions. It exemplifies the plant breeding work of the post-war era, when resilient, productive, and flavorful varieties were created for large-scale cultivation. Originally bred for commercial farming, it reached Europe in the 1960s and 1970s, where it became established in home gardens. The well-known variety is dependable, easy to grow, and recognized for its uniform fruit shape and good storability.

It is one of the first modern bell pepper varieties, marking the transition from traditional pepper forms to large-fruited, thick-walled types. It became the basis for further breeding, including “Yolo Wonder L” (“Large”), which produced bigger fruits. The variety had a lasting impact on commercial pepper cultivation and set the standard for many subsequent types. In the following decades, ‘Yolo Wonder’ became one of the most popular bell peppers in North America and beyond. Its adaptability, early maturity, and high yields made it a favorite among organic gardeners and farmers alike. Today, it is preserved and valued by organic seed initiatives and conservation organizations as a historical variety.

  Appearance & Characteristics

The plant grows compact and upright, reaching a height of about 90 cm. It produces numerous fruit clusters and carries strong, dark green foliage.

Fruit details:

• Size: Large, approx. 120-150 g per fruit

• Shape: Blocky, approx. 10-12 cm

• Color: Ripens from green to bright red

• Texture: Thick-walled, crisp

• Flavor: Fruity-sweet and aromatic – versatile in use

 Usage & Cultivation Highlights

The fruits are excellent for fresh use, cooking, roasting, grilling, and especially stuffing. Their fruity-sweet, crisp flavor makes them a true all-rounder in the kitchen, adding a special culinary touch to vegetable dishes. Whether harvested green or fully red, the fruits are always a delight.

Thanks to its compact growth and robustness, the variety thrives reliably in greenhouses, protected outdoor beds, and especially in pots. It ripens early, produces abundant fruits, and impresses with its versatile use. Easy to care for and highly adaptable to different sites, it delivers stable yields even under variable weather conditions. The large, blocky fruits ripen evenly, making the plant not only a culinary but also a visual enrichment in the garden.

Compared to other bell peppers, ‘Yolo Wonder’ is particularly robust, early-ripening, and productive – ideal for those who value open-pollinated peppers with proven reliability and consistently high yields, even under changing conditions.