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Pinkish-white flowers of turtlehead (Chelone glabra) in a wooded setting.Mason Brock (Masebrock), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Flower of Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)R. A. Nonenmacher, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

(Chelone glabra)
Turtlehead

Host Plant: Baltimore Checkspot

Nectar Plant: many insects

Flower Color: white to pink

Growth Habit: Herbaceous perennial plant that grows to 2-3 feet tall

Range in North America: Eastern North America

Exposure: Partial Sun

Hardiness: Zones 3-8

Soil Requirements: medium to moist soil

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Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)

Pinkish-white flowers of turtlehead (Chelone glabra) in a wooded setting.
Purplish flowers of Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) — Mason Brock (Masebrock), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Alternative Names

White Turtlehead

Description of Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)

Turtlehead (Chelone glabra), a member of the Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family), is a herbaceous perennial that has white to pink flowers that bloom in the late summer and fall.  These plants grow to from 2 to 3 feet tall and is suitable for wet areas that are shaded.

More information about turtlehead can be found on this blog post.

Hosted Species

Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)

Baltimore checkerspot on vegetation.

Baltimore Checkerspot on grass – D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nectar Species

Many other insects use this plant as a nectar source.

Range of Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) in the United States and Canada

Range map of turtlehead (Chelone glabra) in the United States and Canada.

Turtlehead is found in wet woodlands and bogs.  It is native to eastern North America.

Origin of the Name

The genus name derives from the Greek name of tortoise, referring to the shape of the flower and species name means without hairs (Missouri Botanical Garden).

Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) Links

Webpages

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Missouri Botanical Garden

North Carolina Extension Gardener

Videos

Northeastern Native Plant Digest

Minnesota Native Plants

 

Native Location

New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8

Exposure Requirements

Part Shade/Part Sun

Plant Habit

Herbaceous

Soil Requirements

Medium, Moist

Hosted Species

Euphydryas phaeton (Baltimore Checkerspot)

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Turtlehead”

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