Skullcap

Scutellaria integrifolia
AKA: Scutellaria incana ssp. hispida, Scutellaria integrifolia var. hispida

Size: 1g availability

Flower
Max size: 2′ tall x 1′ wide
Average size: 1′ tall x 1′ wide

Usually Moist, Moist to Dry, Very Dry
Clay, Sand
Sun, Part Shade
Tolerant of low levels of salt spray

AKA: Helmet Flower, Hyssop Skullcap, Large Skullcap

Skullcap blooms purple or blue in early spring and continues into summer. To avoid heavy re-seeding, you can deadhead it. It is good for wildflower gardens.

It attracts many pollinators such as butterflies, bees, moths, and bees. Specifically, it has been visited by:  leafcutter, cuckoo, bumble bees, Gulf fritillary, Spicebush swallowtail, and Eastern black swallowtail.

Skullcap has been affectionately refereed to as a ‘gateway herb’ by some herbalists because of its ability to demonstrate to the general public how powerful herbs can be. It is undeniably effective in reducing stress and calming the nervous system. Clinical research has proven its anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effects; the herb increases the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that helps to calm the nervous system. Much of the ethnobotanical data on skullcap uses comes from the Cherokee Nation; skullcap treated diarrhea, breast pain, enhanced kidney function, induced pregnancy, and was smoked to induce ceremonial visions. (1)