Hairy Skullcap is a wildflower in the mint family native to the central and eastern U.S.A. and is found growing along rocky woodlands, bluffs, wooded slopes, and rocky areas along streams. This plant will grow up to 2.5 feet tall and produce a raceme of blue to purple two-lipped hooded flowers. The leaves, stem and flowers all have hairs but the amount varies depending on what part of the country it is growing. The fruit is a 2-parted capsule containing 4 nutlets. This plant prefers part shade in rocky to sandy soils with some organic material in a woodland-type setting. Even though it is often found growing along streams, it needs well-drained soils and doesn't tolerate standing water. Use this plant in a part shade or woodland garden in small groupings, in the border or on a slope. The foliage of this plant has a bitter taste so is often ignored by deer and rabbits. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No Significant problems
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter; Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches; 12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Crenate; Serrate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Green leaves are 1.5-3 inches long and 3/4 to 1.5 inches wide. Margins are crenate to serrate, the shape is lanceolate-oblong to oval, the base is rounded to broadly wedge-shaped (cuneate) and the tip is blunt. The underside of the leaf is paler with hairs. The upper surface is dotted with glands.
Flower color
Blue; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Lipped; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Purple and blue flowers bloom from May to July in a 4-inch long raceme. Individual flowers are up to 3/4 inches, 2-lipped with the upper one hooded and the lower one having white blotches. The calyx has long, spreading glandular hairs.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
2-parted capsule contains nutlets. The top section falls off to disperse the seeds leaving the lower scoop section on the plant. Fruit displays from summer to fall.
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Square green stems often have purple markings along the ridges. The purple coloring is more prominent in the spring, then fades in summer.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central and eastern U.S.A.
Distribution
AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
Wildlife value
This plant is a larval host for moths. Bees and butterflies visit the flowers.