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Helmet Flower

Scutellaria integrifolia (skoot-ul-AIR-ee-uh in-teg-rih-FOE-lee-uh)

Family: Lamiaceae Native Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

Helmet Skullcap is a perennial wildflower plant in the mint family. It has narrow, pointed leaves, with racemes of blue-purple flowers in late spring into summer. It can typically be found in pine woods, low meadows, in forests, roadsides, and savannas.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 42 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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 plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Native Plant; Wildflower
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 4 in. - 1 ft. 8 in. | Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Linear; Obovate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves near the top are 1-2", narrow, untoothed and stalkless, while the lower leaves are slender stalked, egg-shaped, and toothed. Some of the top leaves have hairs, but the majority of leaves are not hairy.
Flower color
Blue; Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Lipped
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
This plant has 1" purplish-blue, two-lipped flowers, often whitish below. Flowers bloom May-July. The flowers have some hairs on them.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit detail
Fruits are available July-August.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Pubescent stem
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern U.S.A. to Texas
Attracts
Bees; Moths; Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Pollinator Garden
Garden tags
#purple #NC native #native garden #summer flowers #native wildflower #Piedmont Mountains FACW #food source herbage #food source hard mast fruit #food source nectar #food source pollen #bumblebee friendly #Coastal FAC #bird friendly #Audubon #larval host plant #NC Native Pollinator Plant #pollinator plant #wildflower

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.