Hoary skullcap (Scutellaria incana)
Hoary skullcap is an early summer blooming perennial that features strong upright growth with small but eye-catching deep blue flowers. It is drought tolerant once established and can be used in wildflower gardens, cottage gardens, open woodland areas, and meadows. It can seed around a bit, so may need some management in more formal settings. Hoary skullcap is a larval host plant to some moth species and a food source for pollinators.
Natural habitat: Open woodlands, dry forests, slopes
Light requirements: Full sun to part shade
Soil requirements: Well-draining, occasionally dry; rich to shallow rocky
USDA hardiness: 5-8
Height: 2′-3′
Spacing: 1.5′-2′
Wildlife value: Bees, moths, songbirds
Deer resistance: Resistant
Rabbit resistance: Resistant
Germination requirements
60 CMS
Hoary skullcap seeds require 60 days of cold moist stratification (abbreviated CMS in many reference guides). Stratification is the process of pre-treating seeds to mimic their natural cycles in an artificial setting.
Cold moist stratification can be achieved by sowing the seeds in your planting medium, covering very lightly with additional medium, gently watering them in, and setting them outside for a minimum of 60 days of temperatures consistently below 40 degrees. They will germinate when the soil warms up in spring. Alternatively, you can mix the seeds with a small amount of moist (not wet) sand, perlite, or vermiculite in a plastic baggie and place it in a refrigerator for 60 days. After chilling the seeds for 60 days, sow them by spreading out the contents of the baggie on the surface of your medium, covering very lightly with additional medium, and gently watering them in.
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