Helmet Skullcap
Scutellaria integrifolia
Last reviewed: October 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 Skullcap (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 × 3"–6" 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 Skullcap
Grow Helmet Skullcap in part sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 12 to 24 inches tall and spread 3 to 6 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
How to care for Helmet Skullcap, by region
How to care for Helmet Skullcap where it is actually grown: year-round basics plus what to do each season, region by region, with the sources for each.
Care guidance last updated: October 2026
Mississippi Valley Loess Plains (includes Memphis, TN)
Year-round
Helmet skullcap is a small sun-loving perennial that likes soil that stays moist but forgives a dry spell.
- Give it full sun, about 6 or more hours a day.
- Keep the soil moist. It can handle occasional dry spells.
- It grows about 16 to 20 inches tall and 8 to 12 inches wide, so it fits in a small spot.
- Purplish-blue flowers show up roughly May through July and bees and other pollinators visit them.
Fall
Fall is quiet for this plant, so there is little to do.
- Blooming is done by now, since flowers run roughly May through July.
- It is rated for USDA zones 6a through 9b, so it fits a Memphis garden's zone range.
Winter
Winter needs very little from you.
- It is hardy in USDA zones 6a through 9b.
- The page gives no pruning or winter protection advice, so leave it be.
Spring
Spring is when this plant gets going, so give it sun and steady moisture.
- Pick a spot with 6 or more hours of direct sun.
- Keep the soil moist as the plant grows toward its May bloom.
- Plan for a compact plant, about 8 to 12 inches wide.
Summer
Summer is bloom time, and moist soil keeps it going.
- Flowers appear roughly May through July.
- Keep the soil moist. It tolerates occasional dryness but is listed as a moist-soil plant.
- Fruits are available July to August.
Sources: NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: Scutellaria integrifolia
In an HOA neighborhood
Helmet Skullcap 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 Skullcap HOA-friendly?
- Helmet Skullcap 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 Skullcap? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.