Bishop's crown pepper plants
A pod like a folded hat. The heat is lower than the costume suggests.
By Debra Austin
Species: Capsicum baccatum
Christmas bell, bishop's hat, same pepper
Bishop's crown is a Capsicum baccatum. The pod collapses into three lobes and looks like a crown, a hat, or a christmas bell, which is the other common name. It is not a bell pepper and it is not a scotch bonnet, even though the silhouette rhymes with both.
The plant we grow is Bishop's Crown Sweet, listed at 5,000 to 15,000 SHU. Hotter wild-type crowns exist. This one is the milder form.
How hot this crown is
5,000 to 15,000 SHU is a mild-medium. You can eat a slice. The first bite tastes fruity, then a warmth shows up. People who buy it for the shape and expect a habanero are surprised in the other direction.
What to do with the pod
Stuff the lobes, pickle them, or slice them into a salad. The cavity is the feature. Dried, they are mostly air. Use them fresh. The flavor is baccatum fruit, not green bell.
Growing bishop's crown
It grows like other baccatums: wide, tall in a big pot, and willing to set pods over a long stretch. Stake it. A crown full of fruit will flop. Seven gallons is a comfortable size.
The Bishop's Crown we grow
Questions people ask
How hot is a bishop's crown pepper?
The sweet form we grow is listed at 5,000 to 15,000 SHU. Other crowns can be hotter. This page is the plant we actually list.
Is bishop's crown a bell pepper?
No. It is a Capsicum baccatum with a three-lobed pod. A grocery bell is an annuum with no heat.
Why is it called christmas bell?
The pod hangs and flares like a bell, and the name stuck in the seed trade. Same plant as bishop's crown.
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