Scutellaria serrata

Common Names

Showy Skullcap, Serrate Skullcap, Skullcap, Allegheny Skullcap

Summary

Showy Skullcap is a clump-forming perennial in the mint family native to eastern North America, typically 12–24 inches tall, with opposite, simple leaves that have coarsely toothed margins and blue-violet flowers arranged in terminal racemes from late spring to early summer.

Cultivation notes include hardiness in USDA zones 5–8, a preference for full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, and a growth habit that forms clumps rather than spreading by stolons or rhizomes, making it suitable for mass planting or naturalizing in woodland borders; flowers attract bees and other pollinators, and the plant is drought and heat tolerant with low maintenance, ideal for accent or border plantings in woodland or native gardens.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

8-23.5 inches

Spread

1-2.5 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5a–7b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun, tolerates partial shade to full shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained soil rich in organic matter

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Acidic to alkaline pH; broad tolerance with no single ideal; adaptable to base-rich soils

Bloom Color

Blue to violet, including lavender shades

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Doubles in size (2× growth).

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Layering, Cuttings, Division, Grafting, Self-sowing

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees