• Sweet bell peppers grow well throughout USDA zone 9.bell pepper image by Chef from Fotolia.com
  
  According to the USDA Hardiness Zone map, zone 9 starts in Florida then goes through southern Louisiana and Texas then jumps to Arizona, California, Nevada and southern Oregon. Although the temperatures are similar in all of these areas, other climate conditions--humidity and rainfall--are very different. Sweet bell peppers (Capsicum annuum) grown in Florida have very different requirements than those grown in southern California or Arizona. All sweet bell peppers will grow in moist, fertile, well-drained sandy, loamy or clay soils. The plant tolerates 4.3 to 8.3 ph level soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils. Sweet bell peppers require full sun and the fruit matures in 67 to 75 days.
  
  

Florida

• According to the University of Florida IFAS Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS), the best red cultivars were Lorca, Torkal, Triple 4 and Zambra; high yielding yellow cultivars were Pekin, Kelvin, Neibla, Bossanova and Taranto; Paramo, Lion and Boogie produce good orange sweet peppers. All these cultivars are Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) resistant and produce 4-to-6-inch, medium-sized fruit.
  
  

Louisiana

• The University of Louisiana Ag Center and Extension found that Revolution, Aristotle, Excursion, Lafayette and Paladin produced the best 4 to 6 inch medium-sized, green fruit that matures to red. These cultivars are resistant to Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV), Potato Virus Y (PVY), Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS), Race 1, Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS), Race 2 and Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS), Race 3.
  
  

Texas

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recommends Big Bertha and Jupiter for green-to-red pepper production; SummerSweet 860 and Golden Summer are recommended for yellow pepper production; and Purple Belle for purple pepper production. Big Bertha and Jupiter produce large green-to-red fruit (more than 6 inches) and are Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) resistant. SummerSweet 860 and Golden Summer are resistant to Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV), Potato Virus Y (PVY), Bacterial Leaf, Spot (BLS), Race 1, Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS), Race 2, and Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS), Race 3. These plants produce 4-to-6-inch, medium-sized fruit. Purple Belle produces 4-to-6-inch fruit.
  
  

California, Arizona, Nevada and Southern Oregon

• These cultivars grow well in all four states. The University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources Cooperative Extension recommends Bell Boy, California Wonder, Yolo Wonder, Keystone Resistant Giant and Jupiter for large green-to-red fruit. These cultivars are Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) resistant, with California Wonder being resistant to Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV), Potato Virus Y (PVY), Phytophthora Blight, Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV), Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS), Race 1, Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS), Race 2, Bacterial Leaf Spot (BLS), Race 3, Pepper Mottle Virus (PepMV) and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV). Golden Summer Hybrid and Golden Bell produce green-to-yellow, medium-sized fruit and are Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) resistant.