Mad Dog Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) is a native perennial wildflower hardy in USDA Zones 3-9 and found across North America.
The Mad Dog Skullcap produces small, trumpet-shaped flowers that vary in color from white and pale blue to lavender, with blue being the most common. It blooms from July to September. The fragrance is minimal, and the leaves are generally not considered fragrant either. These flowers provide both nectar and pollen, attracting a wide variety of native bees, making the plant a great addition to flower arrangements. While it is not a host plant, it does support native pollinators. This plant requires full to partial sun and typically reaches a mature height of 2 feet with a spread of 1.5 feet. It is best harvested in full bloom for drying.
Mad Dog Skullcap prefers sandy, loamy, and clay soils rich in organic matter. It thrives in wetlands such as shorelines and bogs, flourishing in wet to moist conditions that drain well. The plant has rhizome roots and can be propagated from seeds or root cuttings. Additionally, it is resistant to deer and rabbits.
The leaves are dark green, pointed, and arranged oppositely on the stem, which is square in shape and hairless. This low-growing herb spreads across the ground.
The seed heads are small and cup-shaped; when ripe, they split open at the top to release four tiny brown seeds. These seed capsules form in clusters along one side of the stem.
Companion plants for Mad Dog Skullcap include little bluestem, fragrant sumac, great blue lobelia, milkweeds, cardinal flower, and boneset.
Historically, the name "Mad Dog" is linked to the belief that this plant had properties that could cure rabies, a notion that has been disproven. The term "Skullcap" refers to the cap-like shape of the flowers and seed capsules, reminiscent of helmets worn by soldiers during the Middle Ages.
Mad Dog Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) is a native perennial wildflower hardy in USDA Zones 3-9 and found across North America.
The Mad Dog Skullcap produces small, trumpet-shaped flowers that vary in color from white and pale blue to lavender, with blue being the most common. It blooms from July to September. The fragrance is minimal, and the leaves are generally not considered fragrant either. These flowers provide both nectar and pollen, attracting a wide variety of native bees, making the plant a great addition to flower arrangements. While it is not a host plant, it does support native pollinators. This plant requires full to partial sun and typically reaches a mature height of 2 feet with a spread of 1.5 feet. It is best harvested in full bloom for drying.
Mad Dog Skullcap prefers sandy, loamy, and clay soils rich in organic matter. It thrives in wetlands such as shorelines and bogs, flourishing in wet to moist conditions that drain well. The plant has rhizome roots and can be propagated from seeds or root cuttings. Additionally, it is resistant to deer and rabbits.
The leaves are dark green, pointed, and arranged oppositely on the stem, which is square in shape and hairless. This low-growing herb spreads across the ground.
The seed heads are small and cup-shaped; when ripe, they split open at the top to release four tiny brown seeds. These seed capsules form in clusters along one side of the stem.
Companion plants for Mad Dog Skullcap include little bluestem, fragrant sumac, great blue lobelia, milkweeds, cardinal flower, and boneset.
Historically, the name "Mad Dog" is linked to the belief that this plant had properties that could cure rabies, a notion that has been disproven. The term "Skullcap" refers to the cap-like shape of the flowers and seed capsules, reminiscent of helmets worn by soldiers during the Middle Ages.
