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Skullcap

©Philip Precey

Skullcap

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Scientific name: Scutellaria galericulata
The delicate, tube-like, violet-blue flowers of Skullcap bloom from June to September in damp places, such as marshes, fens, riverbanks and pond margins.

Top facts

Stats

Height: up to 40cm

Conservation status

Common.

When to see

June to September

About

Skullcap can be found on damp ground, such as marshes, fens, riverbanks, pond margins and canalsides. This delicate flower blooms between June and September and is pollinated by long-tongued bees; it is also the only foodplant of the Skullcap Leaf Beetle - a yellowy-brown beetle with a black head and four spots on its back.

What to look for

Skullcap has violet-blue, tube-like flowers that have two 'lips' and sit in pairs in the leaf axils (where they join the stem). They have square stems and oval leaves, with toothed margins, that appear in opposite pairs. The closely related Lesser Skullcap has pink flowers.

Where to find

Scattered distribution across the UK; most common in England and Wales.

Habitats

Did you know?

There are about 350 species of skullcap worldwide. Blue Skullcap grows in North America and was used by Native Americans to treat nervous disorders and as a sedative - it was often made into a herbal tea or dried for smoking. Here, Skullcap has been used by traditional herbalists in the same way.