Scutellaria californica
California skullcap
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Lamiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Scutellaria californica (California skullcap) is a native California herb in the Lamiaceae family, recognized by unspotted white/yellow flowers.
California skullcap is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, California Ranges, northern Sierra Nevada, and San Francisco Bay Area in open sites, scrub, and woodland at elevations of 50 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces white to light yellow flowers occasionally tinged pink or blue, with a delicate corolla 16 to 19 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 15 to 40 centimeters tall, it has appressed-ascending hairs and a rhizome with a slightly swollen tip. Its leaves have basal petioles 5 to 10 millimeters long and distal cauline blades that are ovate to oblong, with rounded tips and obtuse to wedge-shaped bases. The fruit develops as a distinctive black seed, completing the plant's subtle yet intricate life cycle.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; key feature is unspotted white/yellow flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open sites, scrub, woodland
Elevation: 50-2200 m
California counties: Mendocino, Yuba, Humboldt, Glenn, Sonoma, Nevada, Tehama, Trinity, Butte, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Alameda, Lake, Amador, Sierra, El Dorado, Colusa, Sacramento, Napa, Solano, Marin, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Tuolumne, Yolo
Bloom period
Scutellaria californica blooms Jun-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Salvia: Salvia has only 2 stamens with a see-saw lever connective and often aromatic foliage; Scutellaria has 4 stamens and a smooth rounded crest (the 'skullcap') on top of the calyx.; vs Stachys: Stachys is hairy and aromatic with flowers in whorled clusters above a 5-toothed bell calyx; Scutellaria bears flowers in axillary pairs and a 2-lipped calyx with a distinctive dorsal hump.; vs Prunella: Prunella packs its flowers into a dense terminal head with leafy bracts and a flat-topped calyx; Scutellaria has paired axillary flowers and a crested, lidded calyx.; vs Monardella: Monardella is strongly aromatic with flowers in dense terminal heads; Scutellaria is scarcely aromatic with solitary paired flowers and the crested calyx.; vs Marrubium: Horehound has wrinkled woolly leaves and a 10-toothed hooked calyx in dense whorls; Scutellaria has the smooth 2-lipped crested calyx and paired flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scutellaria californica native to California?
Yes. Scutellaria californica is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Scutellaria californica bloom?
Scutellaria californica blooms Jun-Jul.
Where in California does Scutellaria californica grow?
Scutellaria californica occurs in Mendocino, Yuba, Humboldt, Glenn, Sonoma, Nevada, Tehama, Trinity and other counties, at elevations of 50-2200 m.
What plant family does Scutellaria californica belong to?
Scutellaria californica is in the Lamiaceae family, genus Scutellaria.
What habitat does Scutellaria californica grow in?
Scutellaria californica grows in Open sites, scrub, woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.