Flower profile
South American skullcap
Scutellaria racemosa
South American skullcap (Scutellaria racemosa) is a flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.
South American skullcap is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Louisiana
Quick look
Scutellaria racemosa is a species of flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae). It is one of the many species in the genus Scutellaria, commonly known as skullcaps.
- It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 9 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to Louisiana. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 464 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #79 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Louisiana.
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records south American skullcap in 9 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Allen, East Baton Rouge, Lincoln, Livingston, Ouachita, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 27 counties across 6 states; the most are in Florida (13), Louisiana (7), Alabama (3).
Other Scutellaria on Bloomipedia (3): Helmet skullcap, Paperbag bush, Heart-leaved skullcap.
More from the Lamiaceae family (44 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common selfheal, Ground-ivy, Red deadnettle, American beautyberry, Henbit deadnettle, Wild bergamot, Lyreleaf sage, American germander.
More Louisiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SCRA.
- iNaturalist, Scutellaria racemosa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Scutellaria racemosa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Scutellaria racemosa (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Daniel Patterson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.