How to Grow Scutellaria Plants

Scutellaria Growing and Care Guide

• Common Names: Skullcap, Helmet flowers.
• Life Cycle: Hardy perennial.
• Height: 2 to 40 inches (5—100 cm). Most garden species are low growing, but some members are sub-shrubs.
• Native: Temperate regions.
• Growing Region: Zones 3 to 8.

• Flowers: Summer.
• Flower Details: White, red, yellow, blue, purple. Hooded. Upper and lower lips. Tubular.
• Foliage: Herbaceous. Opposite. Leaf shape varies, typically oval or lanceolate to ovate. Often woody at the base.

• Sow Outside: Cover seed. Autumn using freshly available seed. Germination time: two weeks to six months. Seeds should first be sown into flats. Next sink the flat into the ground in an area that offers shade, preferably close to a wall that faces north. Provide a glass/plastic covering. Keep an eye on the flats to ensure that the soil remains moist and to check if seedlings have emerged. After two years of growth, transplant the seedlings to their final location in the autumn. Space at 8 to 24 inches (20—60 cm) depending on species size.
• Sow Inside: No.

• Requirements and care: Full sunlight or partial shade. Good drainage. Neutral to slightly acidic soil (pH 6—7). Moist soil. Give enough water to ensure soil does not dry out. Spring mulch. Pinch tips of juvenile plants to encourage bushiness. Propagate: by dividing at the start of spring, of from cuttings of softwood in the summer.

• Family: Lamiaceae.
• Closely Related Species: Basil, Deadnettle, Lavender, Mint, Perilla, Sage, Thyme.
• Miscellaneous: The common names Skullcap derives from the resemblance of the flowers to medieval helmets. The Latin name is derived from the word for small dish/tray (scutella). Members of the genus are used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat inflammation, hepatitis, diarrhea, and to ward off superficial evil.