Scutellaria barbata aka Barbed Skullcap

Scutellaria barbata is a herbaceous perennial in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Its common names include barbed skullcap and barbat skullcap. It comes from southern and eastern Asia. Its range reaches from the Himalayas through China to Korea and Japan. It also grows in parts of Southeast Asia, including Thailand. Wild plants grow beside streams and along rice fields. They also occur in damp grassland with fertile soil. Records place it at heights up to 6,562 feet [2,000 metres].

Plants form low clumps with stems that rise upward. The Missouri Botanical Garden describes a usual height of 1–1.5 feet [0.30–0.46 metres]. Its account gives much the same range for spread. Separate size entries report 4 feet [1.22 metres] tall and 3 feet [0.91 metres] wide. These larger figures conflict with the source’s descriptive account. Leaves grow in pairs on opposite sides of each stem. Each leaf measures about 0.08 feet [0.025 metres] long. Their shapes range from broad and pointed to narrow and lance-shaped.

Blue-purple flowers grow in spikes at the stem tips. Each spike measures about 0.25–0.5 feet [0.08–0.15 metres] long. The small blooms have a tube shape and a hood. Each flower measures about 0.02–0.04 feet [0.006–0.013 metres] long. The garden lists April to June as the flowering season. Its broader account places bloom from spring into midsummer. The flowers provide the plant’s main show in garden beds.

Grow this skullcap in full sun or part shade. It needs soil that stays evenly moist to wet. Give it afternoon shade where summers are hot. That shade also helps when the soil is drier. It suits mixed borders, rain gardens, and bog gardens. Its wet-soil tolerance makes damp planting sites a good fit. The garden rates its upkeep as low. Hardiness figures conflict: its table lists USDA zones 6–9. Its cultivation notes instead give zones 7–10. The same source reports no major pest or disease concerns.

Plants for a Future lists no known food uses. It also lists no known hazards, but this does not prove safety. The source records traditional medicinal use for several ailments. These include liver complaints, sore throats, and some cancers. It also records applying plant juice to wounds. Such records do not establish treatment benefits or safe doses. The source does not flag the plant as weedy.