Turtlehead (Chelone glabra and Chelone lyonii) are native perennials to the Eastern seaboard of the United States. The common name describes the interesting flower shape, which resembles that of a turtle’s beak.
They are hardy to USDA Zones 3 to 8. Turtlehead prefer
moist, rich soils in full sun to part shade. They need minimal care, but
appreciate an occasional top-dressing with leaf compost. You can also pinch them back in the late
spring if the growth is too tall and leggy.
The plants spread slowly by rhizomes and eventually form
large clumps. You can propagate them by division, cuttings, or seed.
Chelone glabra has
white flowers, sometimes with a pink tinge. It blooms from August through
October. Chelone glabra is a larval
host and/or nectar source for the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas phaeton). Chelone
lyonii has pink flowers and is in bloom a bit earlier in the season than Chelone glabra.
A popular cultivar of Chelone
lyonii is ‘Hot Lips’, which is a deeper pink flower than the straight
species with bronze-green foliage and red stems.
For more about growing Turtleheads, see our Going Native
column by Barry Glick in the September 2018 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine (https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2018/09/fall-blooming-japanese-anemone-growing.html).
The video was produced
by Washington Gardener Magazine.
Audio and Text by Kathy Jentz
Video and Editing by Melinda Thompson
Footage gathered in part at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD.
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When do turtleheads come up in Spring zone 8?
ReplyDeleteThe foliage should start to emerge in March and definitely be well up by mid-April.
Delete