Scutellaria strigillosa is a low mint-family perennial of sandy seashores in Korea, Japan, and nearby parts of northeast Asia. It doesn't grow wild in the United States, where many other skullcaps are native instead. In summer it bears violet-blue, two-lipped flowers about 3/4 in (2 cm) long in the upper leaf axils.
Appearance
- Growth form
- Grows 4–16 in (10–40 cm) tall from creeping , with square, branching, finely hairy stems.
- Leaves
- Opposite, thick, oblong leaves about 0.6–1.4 in (1.5–3.5 cm) long with blunt teeth.
- Flowers
- Single violet-blue flowers sit in the upper leaf axils, so each pair of leaves holds two facing flowers. The tube bends at the base and then stands upright.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Sandy beaches
- Coastal dunes
- Range
- Coasts of Korea and Japan (Hokkaido to Kyushu), plus northeastern China, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. It is not native to North America.
- Preferred conditions
- Dry, sunny seaside sand.
Growing it
- Propagation
- Spreads through the sand by creeping rhizomes.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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