Plant Profile

Hoary Skullcap - (Scutellaria incana) is a native perennial wildflower in the Lamiaceae (Mint) family. The genus name comes from the Latin word scutella meaning a small dish or saucer. The plant prefers partial sun and medium soils and it tolerates soils with loam, clay-loam, and rocky material. Hoary Skullcap is very hardy and can withstand dry conditions well. Typical habitats include upland forests, rocky slopes of woodlands, rocky shorelines, and thickets. 

 The square stems are covered with fine white hairs and small purplish-blue flowers bloom in loose racemes in summer. As a member of the mint family, these plants have bitter-tasting leaves so are usually ignored by deer and rabbits. The flowers on the other hand do not have a noticeable floral scent, but attract many different pollinators. 

Hoary Skullcap spreads by seeds and by its rhizomatous root system. It can form tightly packed colonies via its rhizomes. This plant is a great choice for rock gardens, borders, and other hard to grow areas in your landscape.