SCUTELLARIA. Skullcap. Nearly worldwide. A large group of mostly herbaceous perennials of the mint family, often showy in bloom but lacking the aromatic chemistry of many mints. They have leafy stems and neatly paired, nearly round to needle-like leaves. The flowers are small, tubular and 2-lipped, sometimes resembling those of the snapdragons more than the mints. These are delightful plants for rock gardens, low borders and banks. Their culture and hardiness vary considerably. The following will thrive in sun or light shade, planted in well drained, non-alkaline soil.

alpina. Mediterranean region to Siberia. A lush, low mat, with dark, oval 1" leaves. In late spring and early summer, the trailing stems turn up at their tips to display dense clusters of 1" blossoms. These range from purple to white in color, often in various combinations. It needs abundant moisture and is hardy to below 0^oF.

 orientalis. Also Mediterranean region to Siberia. A delightful matting, semishrubby perennial, received several years ago from Allen Robinson in England. It has crowded, soft greyish green leaves and summer clusters of 1" blossoms, light yellow overall and variously marked with white or brown. Moderate watering. 0^oF or less.

pontica. A dense hummock growing 6-10" high. The leaves are shiny, deeply veined and up to 1" long. Dense clusters of deep purplish pink flowers decorate the plants in middle to late summer. 0^o or less.

suffrutescens. This is one of my favorite mints. It is both shrubby and matting, the stems short and closely packed with short, broad, grey-green leaves. It carries many large, deep pink flowers just above the foliage in summer and fall. Probably 10^oF. or less.

“thymifolia”. The plant sold under this name may not even be a scutellaria, but we have yet to identify it properly. It makes little hummocks, with wiry 3-8" stems and small thyme-like leaves. Little lavender flowers, marked with white, open over many weeks in summer and fall. Hardy to 20^oF. or less—perhaps much less.