Heartleaf skullcap facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Heartleaf skullcap
Scientific classification
Genus:	Scutellaria
Species:	ovata

Scutellaria ovata, also known as the heartleaf skullcap, is a cool plant from the mint family (Lamiaceae). You can find it growing across a big part of the United States, from Minnesota all the way down to Florida, and from Texas to the Atlantic coast. It also grows naturally in Mexico.

What Does the Heartleaf Skullcap Look Like?

The heartleaf skullcap is a plant that stands upright. It can grow to about 80 centimeters (about 31 inches) tall. Its pretty flowers are blue. They bloom from May to October. The flowers grow in a cluster at the top of the plant.

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  A close-up of the flowers

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  The calyx and ovary of the heartleaf skullcap

How Scientists Classify This Plant

This plant can look quite different depending on where it grows. Because of this, scientists have had different ideas about how to classify it. Some scientists have divided it into many types. Others think it is just one type that changes a lot.

In 1988, a study showed that there are at least three main types. These types are called subspecies. Many modern plant guides now recognize these three:

• S. ovata ssp. bracteata
• S. ovata ssp. ovata
• S. ovata ssp. rugosa

Is the Heartleaf Skullcap Safe?

The heartleaf skullcap is generally considered "secure" around the world. This means it is not in danger of disappearing. However, it can become rare in certain places. This usually happens at the very edges of where it naturally grows.

For example, in Minnesota, it is listed as a threatened plant. In Michigan, people thought it had disappeared completely. But in 2007, it was found again! It was discovered in The Nature Conservancy's Ives Road Fen Preserve in Tecumseh. This was the first time anyone had seen it in Michigan since 1918.