- Heirloom
- Mild
- 95 (estimated) days to maturity (from transplant)
- 1,000–5,000 SHU (estimated)
- Red
Bishop's Crown
Christmas Bell · Orchid Pepper
Heirloom mild pepper from Barbados. Sweet and mild in the flared wings, with an apple-like note and a little heat. Ready in about 95 days from transplant.
Single source · Updated Sep 19, 2026 · Values marked like this (estimated) are estimates.
At a glance
- Heat
- Mild 1,000–5,000 SHU (estimated)
- Pod
- Pear-shaped 0–1 oz (10–20 g) (estimated)
Three or four flared lobes spreading from a central body, like a small crown.
- Species
- Capsicum baccatum
- Days to harvest
- 95 days (estimated) from transplant · Mid-late
- Plant height
- 3–5 ft (90–150 cm) (estimated) Tall
- 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
- Moderate (estimated) 3/5
- Skin
-
- Red
- Green
Heat
Scoville heat units
Mild
Bishop's Crown Scoville heat units: 1,000–5,000 SHU (estimated)
Warm rather than hot, around a Cubanelle, a Pepperoncini or a Shishito. Most people eat these without reaching for water.
Flavor
“Sweet and mild in the flared wings, with an apple-like note and a little heat.”
Growing calendar
95 (estimated) days from transplant Mid-late
Timing shown for temperate climates; sow indoors 8–10 (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
- Drying
- Canning
- Novelty color
- Gift worthy
- Rare collector
- Hot climate
Origin
Bishop's Crown is a Capsicum baccatum named for its shape: three or four flared lobes spreading from a central body, closer to a small red flower than to a pepper. South American in origin and long grown in the Caribbean, it is mild in the flared wings and noticeably hotter in the core, which is unusual enough that people often report two different heat levels for the same pod. Pepper Joe's is the only shop here that carries it and publishes no specifications, so the figures are estimates.
Sources
Where to buy seeds
Prices rechecked dailyAll photos
Questions
How do you grow a Bishop's Crown plant?
A Bishop's Crown plant grows 3–5 ft (90–150 cm) tall (estimated). Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart in rows 24 in (61 cm) apart (estimated). Start seed indoors 8–10 weeks before your last frost (estimated). It needs full sun.
How long does Bishop's Crown take to mature?
Bishop's Crown is ready in about 95 days from transplant.
How hot is Bishop's Crown?
Bishop's Crown sits in the mild range, about 1,000–5,000 Scoville heat units. Figures vary between seed sellers, so treat them as a band rather than a measurement.
Can Bishop's Crown be grown in a container?
Yes — Bishop's Crown grows well in a container of at least 20 L (5 gal).
Is Bishop's Crown resistant to disease?
No disease resistance is documented for Bishop's Crown.
