Skullcap
BotanicalScutellaria laterifloraAlso calledAmerican skullcap, Blue skullcap, Mad dog skullcap, Scullcap
A bitter, cooling North American herb used to quiet an overworked, overheated mind. Buy it only from a trusted source.
American skullcap is a small mint-family plant from the wet meadows and stream banks of North America. Its name comes from the tiny helmet shape of its blue flowers. Native peoples used it, and later the Eclectic doctors of the 1800s relied on it as a nerve tonic. It is not the same plant as Chinese skullcap, which is a root used very differently.
The tea is green and grassy, with a clear bitter finish. Modern Ayurvedic teachers describe it as cooling, a herb for the frayed, wired feeling that comes from too many hours of focus and too little rest. It does not knock you out. It just takes the edge off.
Ayurvedic Properties
Not described in classical Ayurveda; modern Ayurvedic writers describe it as bitter and pungent in taste and cooling, with a pungent post-digestive effect (Frawley and Lad, The Yoga of Herbs, and other modern Ayurvedic teachers).
- RasaTastes
- ViryaHeating or cooling
- Cooling
- VipakaPost-digestive effect
- Pungent
- AgniEffect on digestion
- Neutral for agni
Little direct effect on digestion.
- GunaQualities
- TridoshaEffect on Vata, Pitta and Kapha
- Vata: increases in excess
- Pitta: decreases
- Kapha: decreases
- ↓decreases (calms that dosha)
- ↑increases (can aggravate it)
- =neutral or balancing
- ?not known
- V Vata · P Pitta · K Kapha
Skullcap's bitter coolness is made for an overheated pitta mind and helps lighten kapha. Vata can find a strong bitter tea too drying over time, so pair it with sweeter, warmer herbs.
Traditional Uses
- Traditionally used to support a calm, settled nervous system after long days of mental effort.
- Traditionally used to support restful sleep.
- Traditionally used to support a cool head when irritability builds.
- Traditionally used to support relaxed muscles and easy breathing during tense times.
How People Use It
- TeaSteep 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb in a cup of just-boiled water, covered, for 10 minutes. Add a little honey or blend with chamomile to soften the bitterness.
- MilkVata types can steep it in warm milk with a pinch of cardamom to balance its dry, bitter quality.
Unwind After Work Skullcap Blend
A cooling cup for evenings after a long, intense day.
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon dried skullcap
- 1 teaspoon dried chamomile
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rose petals
- Honey to taste
- Pour just-boiled water over the herbs.
- Cover and steep for 10 minutes.
- Strain, let it cool a little and add honey.
- Sip it once your laptop is closed for the night.
Pairs Well With
Cautions
- Rare cases of liver injury have been linked to products sold as skullcap. In several cases the product was adulterated with another herb (germander) or mislabeled, and most people were taking other herbs too. Buy only from a trusted, tested source.
- Stop using it and see a doctor right away if you notice yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, nausea or unusual tiredness.
- Avoid skullcap during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, as its safety has not been established.
- It may add to the effect of sedatives, sleep medicines, alcohol or other relaxing herbs. Avoid it if you have liver disease or take medicines that affect the liver.
- Please consult a qualified practitioner or your doctor before using it, especially if you take any medication.
In Our Shop
Organic Skullcap, from $7.00. Weighed and packed by hand at our Rockville Centre studio.
Shop Skullcap →From the Journal
Sources and Further Reading
This page shares how herbs are traditionally used in Ayurveda and other herbal traditions. It is for general education only and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and herbs are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please talk with your doctor or a qualified practitioner before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition.