Skullcap

Identity

Common Name

Skullcap

Scientific Name

Scutellaria lateriflora

Botanical Family

Lamiaceae

Native Region

North America

Cultivation Regions

North America, Europe

Plant Parts Used

Aerial parts, Leaves, Flowering tops

Synonyms

American Skullcap, Mad Dog Skullcap, Hoodwort

Caffeine Level

Caffeine Free

A slender branching square-stemmed perennial 30-80 cm tall with opposite lance-shaped toothed leaves and loose one-sided racemes of small two-lipped blue-violet flowers whose upper lip forms a hooded 'helmet' (scutella).

Historical Background

Skullcap has been a cherished nervine of North American Eclectic and Indigenous herbal traditions, used to calm tension, restlessness, and troubled sleep. The 'scutellum' helmet shape of the flower inspired the genus name and its long association with easing the mind.

Earliest recorded uses: Native American (Eclectic) and early American herbal traditions as a nervine tonic.

Traditional Uses

These uses document historical traditions and do not imply proven effectiveness.

Flavor & Aroma

Aroma: Mild, green, slightly bitter, earthy

Tea Information

Research Summary

Skullcap has a strong folk tradition as a calming nervine for tension and sleep. Clinical evidence is insufficient; no robust trials confirm specific effects, and historical liver-injury reports were largely from adulteration. It is not a treatment for anxiety or insomnia.

Evidence levels reflect the currently available scientific literature and may change as new research emerges. Where evidence is limited or conflicting, this is stated plainly.

References & Sources