Skullcap, Official (Scutellaria lateriflora) seeds, organic
$4.95 – $59.10
Family: Mint (Lamiacea)
Hardy to Zones 3 to 9
(Mad Dog Skullcap, Virginia Skullcap, Blue Skullcap) Herbaceous perennial native to the US. Flowers light blue to a height of 30 inches. Plant prefers shade and rich, moist soils. Traditional usage: TWM, sleeplessness, anxiety and depression. The plant itself is likable and unassuming, with a multi-stemmed, upright habit, reddish stems and flowers located to one side of the stem (thus lateriflora, which is very often and incorrectly called “laterifolia” in the herb industry). Sow seed in garden in cool soils of fall or early spring, or give 30 days moist refrigeration by mixing with peat moss, coir or sand in a plastic bag or glass jar in the fridge.* Bury seed 1/4 inch deep and tamp–dark dependent germinator. Then, sow in warm soil. Germ in 30 days. Thin or transplant to 1 foot apart.
Packet contains 50 seeds
1 g contains ~2,500
5 g contains ~ 12,500 seeds
10 g contains ~ 25,000 seeds
Certified Organically Grown
- Alternate technique: Soak seeds in pure water in a jar left in the fridge for 1 or 2 days. Pour through a strainer and plant swollen seeds in greenhouse or similarly warm conditions. Using this technique, we obtained massive germination on day 4. (2024 season planting of 3-year-old seeds) RAC
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Question
james.magnus.bacon (verified owner) –
Hi Richo!
I two skullcap beds and one is in it’s third year and another is in it’s second year. I love these!!!
Last year I made one cut and it came back but I am wondering about how many cuts/harvest are average/appropriate for skullcap? And about how many inches should I leave on the plant to ensure that it regrows?
Also, I have read that the medical potency of dried skullcap diminishes faster than most herbs – is this your experience? If so, do you have an estimate of how long the dried herb remains optimal?
Thank you!
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Richo Cech –
Hi James, you’ll want the full monograph that will be published in “Growing Plant Medicine” vol 2. Its true, most of us want to use the fresh plant tincture due to the loss of potency upon drying. The dried herb is good for a year. Do not destem–a lot of the flavonoids are in the stem. you can get 2 cuttings a year. You have to cut them back to the ground to get the yield, they will regrow. richo
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mary –
The seed was planted in a starting mix and stayed in the root cellar (40F) for a couple months. It germinated well once placed on a heat mat (~75F) under LED lights. The seedlings were up-potted once and transplanted into the medicinal herb garden (sandy loam soil, 8 hrs full sun). This was several years ago. Being rated only to Zone 6, I half expected it to die out over the Zone 3 winter (-30F to -40F), but nope! I found it wandering through the Elecampane, Valerian, and Astragalus, where it has continued to wander about. I’ve transplanted some to another garden bed with Arnica chamissonis where they both continue to wander about under the Asparagus also planted there, creating a lovely understory/ground cover and providing a source of medicinal herbs. It may not be the most beautiful Scutellaria of the bunch, but it’s a hardy and persistent one that is constantly on the move!
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Question
Heather Leger –
I’m unable to select this item is it unavailable?
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Richo Cech –
hello heather, thanks for letting me know about this, i fixed it. richo
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omshivani –
Hi Richo ,
I’m curious does this Skullcap Lateriflora or Baical need to be overwintered?
(I’m in zone 10a)
Thank you.
BTW,
I didn’t stratify at all and both came up !
I only sowed two seeds of each – under LED lights with heat mats – now I have four beautiful lil plants going, call it lucky?! hurrah!
🙂
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Richo Cech –
greetings shivani, the lateriflora usually does best with some cold pretreatment. The baicalensis is an easy warm soil germinator. sometimes with very fresh seed, as these are, cold stratification is unnecessary. some kinds of seeds take on dormancy as they age, and then they take longer to wake up. you have great faith to plant only 2 seeds, exceeding mine by a factor of 10, it seems. r
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Shivani –
I am a woman of great faith, it’s true LOL !! Honestly I think its just because your seeds are the best (BIG SMILE). Thanks for all you do, I have wonderful plants this year with many of your seeds. Couldn’t be more thrilled.
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Question
Chloe Marcellus (verified owner) –
Hi Rico, I live in CO at about 5700′. If I seed trays and leave them outside on the shady side of the shed to cold strat them, will the inevitable colorado freezes of the spring lower the germ rate- I do not have a good place for them that is cool without freezing (other than fridge but mixing the seeds in moist substrate make for a pain in the butt to seed out into tray plugs later). And, preference on open flats vs. plug trays? Thank you for taking the time for reading!!
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Richo Cech –
Hi Chloe, I think the described technique and freezes will increase germ rate, not decrease it. No real preference for deep flats vs plug trays–either way good I think–some plugs are too tiny though–skullcap is going to send out long roots early on in the game. Richo
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Question
Lynn –
When is the plant ready to harvest. Is it ok to make tea from fresh leaves Instead of dried. How tall does it get? Will it grow well indoors during cold months. Read that if the plant was contaminated from a certain plant, don’t remember name, that it could cause liver toxicity. I trust your company so I know your plants are pure but do you know if that’s the only cases of liver problems is from a plant that was crossed with that certain plant. . Thank you..
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hi Lynn.
Thanks for contacting. The methods for preparing Scutellaria lateriflora are available in my book “Making Plant Medicine” and are a bit much for an e-mail. Basically the fresh plant tincture seems to be the most reliable. There used to be a concern for Teucrium contamination in dried herb from Europe. Since its an american herb buying directly from an american producer makes sense. Richo
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thenaekedgardener –
Speaking of Teucrium……. What is your thoughts on Teucrium marum and; marum camphor??? Especially making tea and tincture for human and feline medicine alike!?!
Any chance of liver toxicity with Teucrium marum in comparison to Teucrium chamaedrys (Germander)???
I’ve been trying to source this rare herb for some time now, knowing of the elusive marum camphor……… Will you ever consider growing and distributing
Teucrium marum!??….
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Richo Cech –
hi naeked, Tuecrium marum contains the same neo-clerodane diterpenes that make T chamaedrys questionable. Richo
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