Scutellaria incana - Scutellaire blanchie, Scutellaire cendrée, Scutellaire duveteuse

Scutellaria incana, the **downy skullcap**, is a **North American perennial** that is still rarely planted in gardens. Yet it deserves attention for its **lavender-blue flowering**, which enlivens borders for several weeks in summer, and its great robustness. Its sturdy stems form an upright, bushy clump, much visited by bumblebees. **Very hardy** and not prone to disease, this skullcap grows equally well in a sunny border or at the **edge of woodland**, in light shade. It tolerates clay soils and **withstands a lack of water** once established.

The *Scutellaria incana* belongs to the **Lamiaceae** family, which also includes salvias, [nepetas](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-by-variety/nepeta-catnip.html) and [agastaches](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-by-variety/agastache.html). It is a **herbaceous perennial plant**: its leafy stems die back in autumn, then new ones emerge from the rootstock in spring. This **botanical species** is native to the central and eastern United States, where it grows in open woods, woodland edges, meadows, thickets and rocky slopes, sometimes near watercourses. It forms a rootstock with **underground rhizomes** that gradually spread, especially in moist soil. The plant occupies **45 to 60 cm in width** at minimum. Its growth remains more contained in poor or dry soil. The quadrangular stems, typical of the Lamiaceae, are upright and covered with fine whitish hairs. They most often reach **70 to 90 cm in height**. The leaves, arranged in pairs, are ovate, pointed and edged with rounded teeth. Their green surface takes on a slightly greyish appearance due to the fine down on the underside. **From July to August, or even until September**, the stems branch in their upper part and bear **upright clusters** about **ten centimetres long**. Each tubular flower measures nearly 2 cm. Its blue-violet corolla has two lips: the upper one forms a small hood, the lower one widens around a white spot near the throat. **Flowering lasts four to six weeks** and attracts **bumblebees**, small bees and butterflies. Once the flowers have faded, the calyx persists as a small cup containing several brown seeds. This characteristic is the origin of the name *Scutellaria*, derived from the Latin *scutella*, meaning a small cup. The term *incana* refers to the **whitish down present on the stems, leaves and flowers**.
This wild plant was named **Wildflower of the Year in North Carolina in 2014** for its ornamental qualities and ease of cultivation.

The downy skullcap can be planted in a **natural border**, a wildflower meadow or at the edge of open woodland. Its rhizomatous rootstock needs a little space, especially in fertile soil. In partial shade, its blue-mauve flowering blends with the white flowers of [***Eurybia divaricata* 'Beth Chatto'**](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-by-variety/asters/aster-divaricatus-beth-chatto.html) and the yellow flowering of [***Solidago caesia***](https://www.promessedefleurs.com/vivaces/vivaces-par-variete/solidago-verge-d-or/solidago-caesia.html), two other North American perennials suited to woodland edges. In a sunnier, drier border, [***Asclepias tuberosa***](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/perennials/perennials-by-variety/asclepias/asclepias-tuberosa-milkweed.html) flowers during the same period as the skullcap. The flowering stems of the skullcap can also be used in country-style cut flower arrangements, with white or soft pink [cosmos](https://en.promessedefleurs.eu/annuals/plug-plants-annuals/annuals-by-variety/cosmos.html).