Dried Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

We grow skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), also called American or blue skullcap, near Woolsery, North Devon. We supply its dried aerial parts wholesale to UK trade buyers. Skullcap has a documented history of substitution in the supply chain, so growing it on one known farm gives buyers clear confidence in what they’re getting.

Skullcap at a glance

• Common name: skullcap, American skullcap, blue skullcap

• Latin name: Scutellaria lateriflora (family Lamiaceae). Not Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis)

• Part supplied: aerial parts (leaf, stem and flower)

• Grown at: Five Bees Farm, near Woolsery, North Devon

• Harvest: summer, while in flower

• Planned formats: whole, cut & sifted

• Organic status: working towards Soil Association certification (target 2028)

How we grow skullcap

Skullcap is a North American perennial of wet meadows and stream margins, so it suits the moist soils of North Devon. We raise it from documented seed in our greenhouse, then plant it into no-dig beds mulched with compost and woodchip, with zero synthetic inputs.

Harvest and handling

We cut skullcap in summer while the plants are in flower. Harvests are made in dry weather, and the cut material goes quickly to the drying barn to keep its green colour.

Drying and processing

Skullcap is dried on the farm at low temperatures and packed in sealed packaging away from light. We keep a retained reference sample from every batch.

Formats for trade buyers

• Whole dried skullcap aerial parts

• Cut & sifted skullcap (planned)

Who buys our skullcap

UK-grown skullcap suits herbalists and tincture makers, supplement and nutraceutical manufacturers, pet supplement makers, herbal tea blenders and herb wholesalers who need confidence in species identity.

Provenance and traceability

Most skullcap sold in the UK is imported, and the herb has a long record of being confused or substituted with germander (Teucrium species). Because we grow every plant ourselves from documented seed, each batch of Five Bees skullcap can be traced to its seed source, bed, harvest date and drying record