Appalachian Blue Skullcap

Pollinator-friendly Appalachian Blue Skullcap (Scutellaria x 'Appalachian Blues') is a wonderfully hardy perennial that grows in sun or shade conditions. Fragrant bicolor blue and white flowers bloom high atop dainty foliage.

You'll feel good about adding these darling native plants to your garden…their "little dish-shaped" flowers are a real favorite with honeybees and butterflies! Go ahead and lose count of how many butterflies come to visit the pretty, delicate spires of violet blooms.

Planting and Application:

Developed by esteemed Peter Heus, Appalachian Blue Skullcap is a well-behaved native cultivar cross of Scutellaria serrata and Scutellaria ovata with a mounding habit that won't spread or run rampant. The dark green foliage features serrated edges and deeply textured veining.

• Add to a shady planting with Lamium and Sweetspire. Read our blog with more helpful Shade Garden plant recipes to consider.
• Use as an enticing, nectar-rich "Filler" in Salsa Garden patio pots, or tuck them near the edge of your backyard veggie garden. If you want plenty of homegrown fruits and vegetables…you'll need pollinators nearby.
• For small lots, Appalachian Blue Skullcap is very desirable with an extended season of bloom. Mix them into your garden borders as a lovely summertime display.
• Excellent in both Butterfly and Pollinator Gardens, this showy Skullcap provides an attractive, cool-toned counterpoint. It stays small enough to use near the edge of your plantings…all the better to study the tiny, tubular blue flowers!
• Skullcap is also a medicinal herb used in both Traditional Chinese Medicine and by the Native Americans. Perennial Appalachian Blue brings a pert and pretty presentation that you can count on year after year.

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Luckily, Appalachian Blue Skullcap grows in any sun condition…from full sun to partial shade and shade. It's best if they receive at least two hours of sunlight a day.

• This cold hardy perennial prefers well-drained soil. Use symbiotic Nature Hills Root Booster in the planting hole, and add a light layer of mulch over the roots.
• Although Skullcap will survive periodic drought once established; we recommend a moderate schedule of water. Get expert watering tips from the NatureHills.com Horticulture Team.
• Wait until early spring to trim back the dried foliage. Deadhead as needed to extend the season of bloom.