About Scutellaria incana Biehler
This species, Scutellaria incana Biehler, grows to roughly 1 meter (3 feet) tall. Its stems are usually unbranched, or only branched near the apex, and are covered in short, dense gray hairs. Like most members of the mint family, its stems have a four-angled square cross-section. Its leaves grow in opposite arrangements and are ovate in shape, reaching up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) in length. The leaves have coarse, blunt teeth along their edges and are covered in fine hairs. Purplish blue flowers grow in a dense raceme that is around 15 centimeters (6 inches) long, produced at or near the tip of the stem. The flower corolla has two distinct lips: the upper lip forms a hooded shape called the "skullcap", while the lower lip is larger and broader, with a white patch located close to the flower throat.
Scutellaria incana is native to the United States, where its range extends west to Texas, south to Florida, north to Wisconsin, and east to New York. It grows in mesic to mesic-dry partially shaded habitats, including upland forests, rocky woodland slopes, thinly wooded bluffs, rocky slopes along rivers, upland meadows within wooded areas, thickets, and woodland-adjacent roadsides.
Flowering occurs in late summer. The flowers are primarily pollinated by bumblebees, and other insect species also visit the plant to feed on its nectar.
