Baikal skullcap, or Scutellaria baicalensis, is a perennial herb in the Lamiaceae family native to China, Mongolia, Russia, and Korea. It grows as a compact plant with narrow leaves, purple-blue flowers, and a yellowish-brown medicinal root. The dried root is the main part traditionally used in herbal practice and is usually prepared in decoctions, powders, and tinctures.
In traditional East Asian herbal systems, Baikal skullcap is regarded as a distinctly bitter and cooling root. It is commonly included in compound formulas rather than used alone, especially where balance, heat, and dryness are part of the traditional herbal assessment.
Unlike the North American herb commonly called skullcap, Baikal skullcap is primarily valued for its root rather than its aerial parts. This makes it a different plant in both tradition and preparation, even though the common names sound similar.
