Heartleaf skullcap at the end of spring
May 04, 2012
The heartleaf skullcap (Scutellaria ovata) is blooming!
Heartleaf skullcap looks like this en masse—and once you plant it, you’ll soon have it en masse. It pops up in winter, grows steadily through the spring, blooming in late April or early May, and then dying back to disappear through the hot summer. Like a phoenix, it reappears after the fiery summer to begin the cycle anew.
Give it morning sun or dappled shade. Deer hate it.
You’ll love it.
I described this native plant in detail last spring, so please read my Plant This recommendation for heartleaf skullcap if you’d like to know more.
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
It is a lovely plant but share your secret on how you keep it so low. Mine always gets rather tall.
Funny you mention the height, Jenny. In the front island bed (pictured here), it stays pretty low, about 1 foot tall at peak bloom. But in back, around the circle pond, where I suspect it gets extra water that flows off the sunburst patio, it’s much taller—about 2 feet tall right now. So perhaps it’s a water issue? The island bed stays pretty dry. —Pam
Lovely foliage and the purple flower spikes are beautiful.
Yes, it has a lot going for it. If only it didn’t disappear in the summer, but, well, you can’t have everything. —Pam
I like heartleaf skullcap too, Pam – have probably planted 8 or 10 plants over the past few years. They seldom survive more than a year or two & have never spread in my garden. Even though our gardens are fairly close geographically, I think the kind of semi-shade that I have is very different and so is my soil. This spring I’m trying some in a new area shaded by a tall yaupon – maybe this time it will be happy!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I remember your saying that you couldn’t get it to take off in your garden, Annie. I wish I knew why. It’s done quite well in both my recent gardens. If you ever need a piece, you know who to ask. —Pam
I wish it came in a brighter color like tangerine – the blue blends too easily into the leaves. 🙁
It’s more of an Audrey Hepburn than a Marilyn Monroe. 🙂 —Pam
Very pretty, planted my first ones this spring. They’re established by now so I’ll look for blooms next year.
AND you’ll get to enjoy the blue-green rosettes this winter. —Pam
It’s a lovely blue~I have a skullcap~Scutellaria incana~but, the leaves haven’t this near silver cast to them. gail
Is Scutellaria incana a native to TN, Gail? If you ever want to try the S. ovata, I’ll be glad to save seeds for you. —Pam
Is that sabal minor in the second photo or a small sabal texana? Beautiful!!
It’s a Sabal minor, Louis. I have three in that bed, currently residing under a carpet of heartleaf skullcap. —Pam
I planted some transplants a few months ago, and I’m excited that they have a few bloom heads appearing. I can’t wait until they spread like yours (fingers crossed)!
Usually they spread with abandon, Cynthia—more, even, than some people desire! But Annie in Austin (above) can testify that that’s not always the case. I hope yours make a nice little carpet by next year. —Pam
My skullcap is also at its peak of beauty now. I love it, though it can be a bit spready in places. I don’t know if you remember, but you gave some to me (10 years ago??). They did nothing for about 4 years except appear, then disappear. No blooms, no spreading. Then, something kicked in and they bloom reliably every spring, into summer. And spread. And spread. And spread. But that’s okay.
Maybe that’ll happen for Annie in Austin too. She hasn’t had any luck with hers yet, even though I keep writing about what a spreader this plant is. I don’t mind either though. It’s easy to pull up unwanted patches, and it doesn’t hog the spotlight all year since it dies back in summer. —Pam
I planted two seedlings I propagated from your seed two days ago. I love the aesthetics of this plant and it will ‘fit’ into the motif of my meadow garden(I guess that’s what I call it this year anyway). Unfortunately I may have to move them as I have planted them in full sun.
I hope it grows well for you, Greggo. You are further north, so maybe full sun will be fine. —Pam
According to what I can find, it’s not native to our area and not commonly found here, yet it grows in areas that are a couple of zones colder so it would probably do well here as well. I love the dark blue flowers against the green. As a member of the mint family, I worry about it becoming invasive and wonder if it would be a good choice for our woodland garden.
It is pretty aggressive when happy, so be warned! —Pam