Scutellaria galericulata
marsh skullcap
Europe, northern Asia, and North America
Overview
Scutellaria galericulata, marsh skullcap, is a slender, rhizomatous perennial in the mint family, growing 6-20 inches (15-50 cm) tall on square, upright stems. The opposite leaves are oblong to lance-shaped, 0.8-2 inches (2-5 cm) long, with shallow, blunt teeth and a slightly heart-shaped base. Unlike many mints, the flowers are not held in spikes but borne in pairs in the leaf axils along the stem, each violet-blue, two-lipped, and about 0.4-0.8 inch (10-18 mm) long, with a curved tube and a small cap-like bump on the calyx that gives the plant its name. The flowers face outward in matching pairs and open in succession up the stem. The calyx keeps its little helmet-shaped flap as the seed ripens. The plant spreads slowly by creeping rhizomes and grows in wet ground, often partly hidden among taller marsh vegetation. It favors fens, marshes, riverbanks, ditches, and the edges of ponds and lakes on damp to wet soils. Native across Europe, northern Asia, and North America, it is a widespread plant of wetland margins and lacks the strong scent of many mint relatives.
Native Range
Native across the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, northern Asia, and North America. It grows in fens, marshes, wet meadows, riverbanks, ditches, and the margins of ponds and lakes, on damp to waterlogged soils.Suggested Uses
Used in bog gardens, rain gardens, wildlife ponds, and wetland or streamside restoration plantings. The flowers support bumblebees and the plant helps clothe and stabilize damp margins in naturalistic schemes.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 1'8"
Width/Spread1' - 1'6"
Bloom Information
Flowers from early summer to early autumn, mainly June to September, with violet-blue flowers opening in matched pairs up the stem over a long season. Bumblebees and other long-tongued bees pollinate the tubular flowers. Seed ripens within the persistent helmeted calyx.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun to part shade in permanently moist to wet soil, including bog gardens, pond margins, and the damp edges of streams. It needs soil that never dries out and tolerates seasonal flooding and shallow standing water. Once established it spreads gently by rhizome to form loose colonies without becoming aggressive. It needs no feeding and little care in a suitably wet site. In drier ground it struggles and fades, so consistent moisture is the main requirement.Pruning
Cutting the stems back to the base in late autumn or late winter tidies the clump before new growth. No other pruning is needed. The plant dies down fully in winter and reshoots from the rhizome in spring.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
fallwinter
Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 2 gallons