Heartleaf Skullcap
Scutellaria ovata
Heart-shaped leaves frame two-toned blue and white flowers from late spring into summer. Reliable, no-care color for part shade.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
Shade-tolerant, deer-proof, summer-blooming native for woodland edges. the heart-shaped leaves and two-toned blue flowers are a detail that holds up at close range.
Heartleaf Skullcap is the skullcap for woodland edges and lightly shaded gardens: the broad, heart-shaped, coarsely toothed leaves (which distinguish it immediately from the narrower-leaved Scutellaria incana) frame clusters of two-toned blue and white tubular flowers from late spring into summer. The upper lips of the flowers are blue-violet, the lower lips white, giving each flower a subtle two-toned quality that rewards close inspection. Bumblebees work the flowers readily, inserting themselves into the tube to access the nectar. This is a good-natured, reliable native for part shade situations. It spreads slowly by rhizome, forming loose colonies in moist woodland soil without becoming aggressive. Plant it under shrubs, along a shaded path edge, or in a naturalistic woodland garden where it will provide consistent summer bloom in the understory. Deer barely touch it, and it requires no staking, no fertilizing, and essentially no care once established in appropriate conditions.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown heartleaf skullcap propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Part sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 1–2 ft · 12–18 in wide
- Bloom time
- Late spring through summer
- Bloom color
- White, Purple, Blue
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Family
- Lamiaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America from Ontario south to Florida; moist to dry-mesic woodland edges, open woods, and rocky slopes
Care notes for heartleaf skullcap.
Part shade to full sun, moist to average well-drained soil. More shade and moisture tolerant than Scutellaria incana. Spreads slowly by rhizome. divide in spring to thin or propagate. Cut back after main bloom flush to encourage rebloom. Minimal maintenance. Drought tolerant once established. No serious pest or disease issues.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside heartleaf skullcap.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.