scutellaria altissima Scutellaria incana

scutellaria altissima Scutellaria incanaDowny Skullcap (Scutellaria incana) Mint Family Downy Skullcap is an easy, low maintenance choice for the wildflower garden. Dense plumes of blue violet flowers have a long bloom time during mid to late summer, and are a bumblebee favorite. It will grow in average to rocky soil and sun to part shade. It is not overly aggressive, but will fill in nicely in a short amount of time. Attractive and unusual seed heads are what give the skullcap its namemake

Downy Skullcap (Scutellaria incana)
Mint Family

Downy Skullcap is an easy, low maintenance choice for the wildflower garden. Dense plumes of blue-violet flowers have a long bloom time during mid to late summer, and are a bumblebee favorite.  It will grow in  average to rocky soil and sun to part shade. It is not overly aggressive, but will fill in nicely in a short amount of time. Attractive and unusual seed heads are what give the skullcap its name–make sure to take a look and pop one open in early fall. The very small skullcap skeletonizer moth larvae feed on its foliage before blooming–the adult moths can be spotted resting on the leaves. Damage is not serious, so try and let them be.

Blooms: Violet, 4-6 weeks, June-Aug
Leaves: Light green, 1-3”, ovate, toothed, finely hairy,
Height: 2-3’
Space: 1-3’
Soil: Avg-Dry to rocky
Exposure: Full sun-Part sun-Part Shade
Fauna: Bumblebees, some small butterflies and bees, wasps, host to 2 moth species
Seeds: Interesting–dried upper calyx functions like a lid that pops off when 2-4 dark brown, round nutlets are dry
Deer Resistance: High
Zone: 5-8
Native Status: NC native, uncommon in the Piedmont and Mountains
Provenance: Unknown, seed grown