Bishops Hat is a cover crop — grown to build and protect the soil rather than for a harvest of its own. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 8, shrugs off deer and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its spring flowers are a modest draw for native bees.
Zones
4-8
pH Range
5.5-7.5
Sun
Shade
Days to Maturity
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What Bishops Hat is
Bishops Hat grows as a perennial and reaches around a foot at maturity. It blooms red in spring. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
How to grow Bishops Hat
Bishops Hat grows in USDA zones 4 through 8. Bishops Hat does best in shade — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 120 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
4-8
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 7.5
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Shade
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
1 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
120+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant bishops hat in shade with at least 2 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Bishops Hat prefers pH 5.5 to 7.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Turn it in before it seeds
Cut bishops hat down or turn it into the soil before it sets seed, while the growth is still green — that's when it returns the most to the ground.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — bishops hat isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Bishops Hat offers low value to bees and other pollinators.
Where Bishops Hat thrives
Bishops Hat is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 4–8·Where Bishops Hat growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Bishops Hat can grow in these states:
See if Bishops Hat will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether bishops hat actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Bishops Hat in my zone?
Bishops Hat grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Bishops Hat?
Bishops Hat is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Bishops Hat need?
Bishops Hat is shade-tolerant — it gets by on as little as 2 hours of direct sun, so it earns a place most vegetables can't use. A north-facing strip or the ground under a leafy canopy is right where it belongs. A Growable Ground report shows which corners of your land stay shaded through the day, turning those dim spots into planting spots.
What soil does Bishops Hat need?
Bishops Hat prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Bishops Hat attract pollinators?
Yes — bishops hat's flowers are a modest nectar source for native bees.
Is Bishops Hat safe for pets?
Bishops Hat is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)