Scutellaria

Family of  Lamiaceae.

Origin: East Asia – Siberia, China. 

Description. Scutellarias are low annual or perennial subshrubs or herbaceous plants. The stems are erect, branched, quadrangular in cross-section. The leaves are pubescent, green, heart-shaped, arranged oppositely. The leaf blades have sparse pubescence and small teeth along the edge. The flowers are purple, red, lilac, pink, cream, arranged in tiers at the top of the stem. There are varieties with flowers of two contrasting tones.

Height. In the natural environment it reaches 1 m, in indoor culture low varieties are grown - up to 60 cm.

Growing

Home care 

An unpretentious and very useful plant. Young shoots can be pinched for better branching. 

Reproduction 

Scutellaria is usually propagated by dividing adult large plants during transplantation or by semi-mature stem cuttings. Cuttings can be rooted even in plain water. It is also easy to grow a bush from seeds that are sown on the surface of the soil without covering it with earth.

Growing conditions - temperature

During the growing season it tolerates a wide range of temperature conditions, and in the winter months it requires a cool dormant period, but the temperature should not fall below 15° C.

Transplantation of scutellaria 

Replant annually into a larger pot in spring.

Lighting

The flower does not like direct sunlight, but it should be grown in a well-lit place.

Soil

The plant feels great in any soil, and tolerates even nutrient-poor substrates with good drainage.

Fertilization

Feed monthly with water-soluble fertilizers during the growing period. 

When it blooms 

From June to August, the flowering period lasts for several months. 

Watering 

Watering should be abundant during the growing season, it is better to use bottom watering, immersing the pot in a large container with water for several minutes and allowing excess moisture to drain. In the autumn-winter period, the frequency of watering is reduced.

Spraying 

In spring and summer, if the air in the room becomes too dry, you can increase the humidity with a room humidifier or by placing the plant on a tray with wet pebbles. Spraying is not recommended. 

Diseases and pests 

Powdery mildew, leaf spot, rot due to insufficient drainage. Whitefly, wireworm.

Note

Some species of scutellaria are used in medicine. As plants age, the lower part of the stems is exposed - they are subjected to rejuvenating pruning or replaced with young ones. 

   

Varieties:

Scutellaria baicalensis

A herbaceous plant with rigid, erect stems, abundantly branched at the base, with ribs. The leaves are green, linear, glossy, sessile or on very short petioles. Inflorescences appear at the tops of shoots, bearing many small, delicate blue or purple flowers. The plant is widely used in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent, and is also believed to contain a large number of antioxidants. 

Scutellaria galericulata

Herbaceous plants with rigid, square in cross-section, ribbed stems covered with thin, sparse pubescence. The leaves are green, covered with a branched network of veins, glossy, 2 to 6 cm long, narrowly lanceolate, arranged in opposite pairs. The leaf blades have weakly expressed teeth along the edges. The flowers are tubular, blue-violet, covered with delicate pubescence, axillary, appearing in the upper part of the stems in twos or threes. 

Scutellaria costaricana

Herbaceous plants from 30 to 90 cm high. The stems are erect, tetrahedral, with a little pubescence. The leaves are green, glossy, with a developed network of leaf veins, slightly sunken into the leaf blades, reaching 8 - 15 cm in length. The edges of the leaf blades have small teeth. During the flowering period, the plant decorates itself with long, thin, tubular flowers of a red hue, collected in apical inflorescences. Often the lower lip of the flowers is painted in a yellow or orange hue. With proper care, flowering can occur at any time of the year. 

Scutellaria alpina

Delicate herbaceous plants up to 30 cm high. They have abundantly branched stems at the base, covered with silvery fluff. The leaves are soft, light green, lanceolate, with small teeth along the edge, also covered with very delicate fluff. The inflorescence is apical, bearing very attractive blue, pink, white flowers. The lower lip of the flowers is often painted in a contrasting yellow or white shade. 

Scutellaria orientalis

Compact herbaceous plants with recumbent stems, have delicate, deeply cut, covered with delicate pubescence, green or silvery-green leaves. Flowers are collected in small inflorescences at the tops of shoots, long, tubular, painted in white, yellow, golden-orange, burgundy shades. This species can be used as an attractive ground cover plant, which with age forms a dense herbaceous carpet.