Scutellaria Baicalensis seeds Chinese Skullcap

LATIN NAME: Scutellaria baicalensis

COMMON NAME: Chinese Skullcap

The Chinese skullcap threads the blue-violet flowers up the slender, one-sided racemes above the narrow, willow-like leaves, and the whole plant carries the fine, neat look of the dry meadow. The hardy, perennial herb carries the narrow, lance-shaped, willow-like leaves along the erect, branching stems, and the blue-violet, helmet-like, two-lipped flowers in the slender, one-sided racemes through the early summer, one of the neat, bright sights of the dry meadow, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, round, brownish nutlets. The yellow roots have a very long record in the old practice of the cool lands, and the plant is a historic presence of the dry meadow. It is a plant of the open, sunny, light, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The Chinese skullcap is a historic subject of the plant science, and the blue-violet flowers keep showing up in the work on the flowering herbs of the dry lands. The way the helmet-like, two-lipped flowers form in the slender, one-sided racemes has been studied at length, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the flowering herbs, the willow-like leaves and the members of the mint family. The yellow roots and the neat habit have also made it a fine study herb, and the Chinese skullcap is a regular subject of the work on the blue-violet flowers of the cool world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The Chinese skullcap is a neat, useful plant of the dry meadow and the study collection. The narrow, lance-shaped, willow-like leaves along the erect, branching stems carry the neat look of the dry meadow, one of the neat, bright sights of the dry meadow, drawing the bees, and the yellow roots have a very long record in the old practice of the cool lands, the dried roots coming to the old teas and the prepared remedies of the old shops, while the blue-violet, helmet-like, two-lipped flowers in the slender, one-sided racemes open through the early summer, to be followed by the small, round, brownish nutlets. It is one of the fine choices for the dry meadow, the herb bed and the study collection, and it has been written up in the botanical and the scientific papers for the yellow roots and the very long history. It is a neat, useful plant of the open, sunny, light, well-drained garden.

The skullcap seeds grow readily in a fine, gritty mix kept lightly moist. The young plants are neat and undemanding once they root, and they enjoy the light, well-drained ground of the sunny border.

To grow the Chinese skullcap from seed, scatter the small, dark seeds over the surface of the nursery pot of fine, gritty soil, water gently, then keep the pot in a bright, open spot. The seedlings push through within a couple of weeks, and they grow on steadily. With the sun and the light, well-drained ground, the blue-violet racemes will rise over the summer.

Scutellaria baicalensis, known as Chinese skullcap or Baikal skullcap, is native to the mountains of eastern Asia. Chinese skullcap is one of the 50 fundamental herbs of traditional Chinese medicine. Scutellaria baicalensis grows to about 1-1.5 feet in height, forming ornamental spikes of one-inch blue to purple flowers. It is a perennial plant that will bring color back to your garden each year while offering medicinal potential. Chinese skullcap also offers the benefit of attracting bees, butterflies and birds that will help pollinate your garden. The plant’s yellow root, which contains the flavinoids, wogonin, baicalin and baicalien, is most frequently used for herbal medicine. Having such high importance in Chinese medicine, it is expected that Chinese skullcap would have an extensive list of herbal uses ranging from anti-anxiety to anti-inflammatory to anti-cancer. It is also said to protect the liver, control blood pressure and promote cardiovascular health. Antibiotic, diuretic, anti-spasmodic and fever-reducing properties have also been associated with this herb