Helmet Flower
Scutellaria integrifolia
Last reviewed: September 2026
Scutellaria integrifolia, or Helmet Skullcap, is a perennial forb that blooms from June through August with small purple-blue flowers on upright spikes. It grows well in part sun with medium moisture and attracts bees and butterflies.
Toxicity unknown
Helmet Flower (Scutellaria integrifolia) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
part sun
Water
medium
Size
12"–24" H × 8"–15" W
Bloom
Jun, Jul, Aug
Native to
AL, CT, FL, GA and 6 more states
Pollinators
bees, butterflies
Before you buy
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Helmet flower is a compact native perennial that produces spikes of small blue to purple tubular flowers from June through August. This well-behaved plant maintains a tidy, clumping growth habit and works well in partially sunny gardens with average moisture.
Growing Helmet Flower
Grow Helmet Flower in part sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 12 to 24 inches tall and spread 8 to 15 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Helmet Flower is an HOA-friendly choice. Maintenance level: low. Tidiness: 4 out of 5.
Works well in: front yard, foundation, street edge, mid zone.
Wildlife value
The tubular flowers are particularly attractive to native bees and butterflies during the summer blooming period. Its compact size makes it useful for pollinator gardens in smaller spaces.
Common questions
- When does Scutellaria integrifolia bloom?
- Helmet Skullcap typically flowers from June through August, producing tubular purple-blue blooms along upright stems.
- What growing conditions does Helmet Skullcap prefer?
- This forb does best in part sun with medium, consistently moist soil, often along woodland edges, meadow margins, or roadside ditches.
- What pollinators visit Scutellaria integrifolia?
- Bees and butterflies are the main visitors, drawn to the tubular flowers for nectar during the summer bloom period.
- Is Scutellaria integrifolia a shrub or a perennial herb?
- It is a herbaceous perennial forb, not a woody shrub, and it dies back to the ground each year.
- Is Helmet Flower HOA-friendly?
- Helmet Flower is generally an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement, with low maintenance.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Helmet Flower? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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