2014 North Carolina Wildflower of the Year: the Hoary Skullcap

The North Carolina Botanical Garden and the Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc. are co-sponsors of the North Carolina Wildflower of the Year program. In 2011 they celebrated thirty years of this conservation project, which was initiated in 1982. The project's aim is to actively promote, each year, throughout the state and region an attractive plant that is native to the southeastern United States.

2014 Wildflower:  Hoary Skullcap
Scutellaria incana var. punctata

Hoary skullcap is a wonderful native perennial in the mint family that we are excited to offer as the 2014 Wildflower of the Year. Similar to the closely related downy skullcap (Scutellaria incana var. incana), hoary skullcap can grow up to three feet tall and can form clumps up to two feet across. Like other members of the mint family, hoary skullcap has aromatic leaves, but our favorite thing about this species is its long bloom period. In bloom, it has upright, branched spikes of unusual-shaped violet-blue to lavender flowers and it will provide plenty of cooling color throughout the heat of summer and into early fall. Although the flowers of hoary skullcap are pollinated primarily by bumblebees, other insect visitors include butterflies, bee flies, and wasps.

 

The ornamental seed heads of hoary skullcap provide interest in late fall and winter or they can be clipped back early to encourage continued flowering. In fact, it is the interesting, curved structure of the seed capsule that gives this species the name Scutellaria, which is derived from the Latin word scutella, meaning "saucer or shallow dish." Additionally, the common name "skullcap" comes from the resemblance of the calyx to a miniature helmet or cap.

 

Though hoary skullcap is endemic to the southern Appalachians from West Virginia south to northern Georgia, it thrives in a range of soil types and light levels. In the wild it can be found in dry to mesic forests and woodlands, but here at the North Carolina Botanical Garden it is spectacular in the sunny, open landscapes surrounding the new Education Center. And while no plant is entirely “deer-proof,” hoary skullcap is generally thought to be fairly deer and rabbit resistant because of the reportedly bitter-tasting foliage.

 

Drought-tolerant once established, this wildflower would be well-suited to a sunny or partially shaded spot with average to dry soil. For a stunning display of summer color, add hoary skullcap to your perennial bed or border with tickseed (Coreopsis sp.), butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), or black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta). Gardeners should try growing this interesting and showy native mint in your garden or landscape.

 

The illustration of hoary skullcap above was created by Dot Wilbur-Brooks. Printed T-shirts, sweatshirts, and tote bags that are available for purchase in the NC Botanical Garden Shop. Also available is the 25-year Wildflower of the Year commemorative poster.

 

To receive a brochure and seeds of the current North Carolina Wildflower of the Year (available in mid- to late-February) send a self-addressed, stamped business-letter envelope to:

2014 NCWFOY
North Carolina Botanical Garden
Campus Box 3375, UNC-CH
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3375

BEFORE ORDERING, please read our seed distribution policy.

 

Wildflower Of The Year since 1982
1982	- cardinal flower	Lobelia cardinalis
1983	- cardinal flower	Lobelia cardinalis
1984	- Small's beardtongue	Penstemon smallii
1985	- butterfly milkweed	Asclepias tuberosa
1986	- foamflower	Tiarella cordifolia var. collina
1987	- Eastern columbine	Aquilegia canadensis
1988	- black-eyed susan	Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii
1989	- Southern sundrops	Oenothera fruticosa
1990	- seashore-mallow	Kosteletzkya virginica
1991	- lobed coreopsis	Coreopsis auriculata
1992	- blue wild indigo	Baptisia australis
1993	- great blue lobelia	Lobelia siphilitica
1994	- river-oats	Chasmanthium latifolium
1995	- green-head coneflower	Rudbeckia laciniata
1996	- Eastern silvery aster	Aster concolor
1997	- crimson-eyed rose-mallow	Hibiscus moscheutos
1998	- Southern blazing star	Liatris squarrulosa
1999	- American alumroot	Heuchera americana
2000	- Eastern aromatic aster	Aster oblongifolius var. angustatus
2001	- cardinal flower	Lobelia cardinalis
2002	- Eastern smooth beardtongue	Penstemon laevigatus
2003	- boneset	Eupatorium perfoliatum
2004	- New York ironweed	Vernonia noveboracensis
2005	- swamp milkweed	Asclepias incarnata
2006	- Eastern bluestar	Amsonia tabernaemontana
2007	- swamp sunflower	Helianthus angustifolius
2008	- white wood-aster	Eurybia divaricata
2009	- Piedmont Barbara's-buttons	Marshallia obovata var. obovata
2010	- atamasco lily	Zephyranthes atamasca
2011	- spiked wild indigo	Baptisia albescens
2012	- common golden Alexanders	Zizia aurea
2013	- New Jersey - tea	Ceanothus americanus