Scutellaria

Sunset

Zones vary by species.

Full, Partial

Moderate

Skullcap

Perennials, Flowers

These clump-forming perennialshave square stems and pairedleaves. Long, tubular flowersflare out into two lips, the upperone narrow and hooded, thelower one broad. Blossoms areclustered in roundish or elongatedinflorescences. Easy togrow with good drainage.

Scutellaria baicalensis, photo courtesy of Saxon Holt/PhotoBotanic

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Scutellaria baicalensis

Native to Siberia, China,and Japan. Stems first spread,then grow upright, forming aclump 1 1/2 ft. high and wide.Narrowly ovate, medium greenleaves. Dense, one-sided clustersof blue-purple, inch-longflowers in summer and fall.

Scutellaria resinosa

Native from Kansas andColorado south to Texas andArizona. Mounding plant 6–8 in.tall and 1 ft. wide, with roundish,resinous, grayish greenleaves less than 1/2 in. long.Elongated clusters of deeppurple-blue, 1-in. flowers in latespring. Deadhead for intermittentbloom through autumn.