Chelone -- Turtlehead

9/3/2024 12:14 pm

 

Chelone lyonii 'Tiny Tortuga'

 

 

Late summer and early fall is when Chelone, commonly known as Turtlehead, shines.  

 

Chelone requires moist soil to really thrive. It grows mostly in part sun to part shade. It can also take full sun if kept consistently moist (a challenge few of us in the deep south can meet). It grows fine in high shade too, although it tends to get leggy. It is a good candidate for use in a rain garden. 

 

The flowers of Chelone resemble snapdragon blooms, but are significantly larger. Plants can be found with flowers that are white, rose pink, deep pink and purplish. Chelone flowers can last three to six weeks. They are said to attract hummingbirds. Bees are the primary pollinators.

 

Species

There are only six species of Chelone, all native to North America. Of these, four can be found in the Southeast United States. Only three species are common in the nursery trade.

 

Chelone glabra flowers are white (or blush). The species form of Chelone glabra grows to about 24-36 in. tall x 18-24" wide. It has attractive glossy dark green foliage, the contrast of which helps show off the blooms well. C. glabra is the smallest of the species, with 1" flowers. It grows freely in my woods near the lake, but has not been a long term success when intentionally planted in my garden. Lack of consistent moisture is likely the reason.

 

If you have the moisture and space for it, Chelone glabra 'Black Ace' -- which grows to 6' tall -- is a real stunner.

 

©Photo Courtesy of Plant Delights Nursery 

 

 

Chelone lyonii is -- in the wild -- a taller form than C. glabra, growing 2-4' tall. It is commonly referred to as "Pink Turtlehead." It is the most adaptable of the species for the garden, tolerating some drier conditions than C. glabra or C. obliqua. Hybridizers have done their part to shrink C. lyonii plant from the species form as well as to darken the flower color to make it more attractive in the garden border. Well known garden worthy cultivars include 'Hot Lips,' growing in the 2-4' range and 'Tiny Tortuga,' topping out at 1 1/2' to 2" tall. 'Tiny Tortuga' (pictured at the top of the article) has been the most dependable and long lasting in my garden by far. 

 

C. obliqua is the darkest pink of the species and said to be the most heat tolerant. It is varyingly referred to as Red or Purple Turtlehead in literature. You can find cultivars in white (C. obliqua 'Alba') and rose pink (C. obliqua 'Rosea') as well. The foliage is a little bit coarser than C. lyonii or C. glabra. 

 

C. cuthbertii tends to be a small form with pinkish-purple flowers, growing about 16" and sometimes taller found in bogs or swamps. It is found only in small portions of the Georgia mountains, North Carolina mountains and Coastal Virginia and North Carolina and is listed as "Threatened" in Georgia. While a perfectly lovely plant, the leaves are significantly less attractive than other species and it cannot be found in cultivation anyway. 

 

Can't tell one Chelone from another? The key is the single sterile stamen in each flower.  It is green-tipped in C. glabra, white-tipped in C. obliqua, rose-tipped in C. lyonii and purple-tipped in C. cuthbertii.

 

Bees are the primary pollinators of Chelone. C. glabra is a host plant to the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly. White Turtlehead contains chemicals called iridoid glycosides, so when the Checkerspot feeds on this plant, they become bad tasting to birds. There is disagreement in the literature about whether C. glabra is the only host for this butterfly. Reports are it has adapted to viburnum, plaintain and penstemon as well.

 

 

 

Pictures from Alabama Butterfly Atlas

 

Native range

Native to where? All forms of Chelone are generally found in mountain bogs, wet meadows, sphagnum seeps, and swamps.

 

Bonap.org indicates Chelone glabra is native mostly to the northern half of Georgia, with some instances elsewhere. White Turtlehead is by far the most commonly occurring native form of Chelone in Georgia. 

 

Chelone obliqua is said to be native in the state, but without any significant or specific populations identified by Bonap.org. Rare presence in the northern regions of Georgia is indicated by Flora of the Southeastern United States.

 

Chelone lyonii is not shown as native within Georgia per Bonap.org, but it is widely found above Georgia in the easternmost portions of Tennessee and western North Carolina.  Flora of the Southeastern United States, shows it as native but rare in north Georgia. 

 

C. cuthbertii has extremely rare native presence in the state, and only one natural population currently verifiably alive. It is monitored and protected in the Chattahoochee National Forest. There are also ongoing efforts to increase the population ongoing by intentional planting.

 

pests & threats

Snails will chomp Chelone foliage. As to deer and rabbits, sources suggest the foliage it is not their first choice because of the iridoid glycosides, but also acknowledge that individual experiences vary. My poor experience with deer has led me to spray the foliage up until bloom time. Once they bloom, the four legged critters seem to leave it alone -- at least at my house. 

Where to find it

Chelone often shows up at native plant sales in the late spring. Locally, I've obtained specimens at Georgia State Perimeter College sales in past years. At press time (9/2024), Grower's Outlet in Loganville had two color forms of Chelone obliqua and Cottage Garden Natives in Lithonia had Chelone glabra and Chelone lyonii 'Tiny Tortuga' and 'Hot Lips'. https://www.astroasheville.org/ashevilles-new-observatory/'. Online sources for some cultivars include White Flower Farms and Plant Delights. 

 

It is one of those plants that if you have a nice moist spot for it, buy it wherever you happen to see it because it can be hard to find! I've brought a couple forms back from Pennsylvania over the years.

 

Fun Facts

Chelone translates to tortoise or turtle in Latin. Chelone is pronounced as kee-LO-nee to rhyme with baloney. Yet another Latin name I have been mispronouncing for decades!  I'd feel bad but it is mispronounced throughout Missouri Botanical Garden's database. So I am in good company.

 

Contributed by Liane Schleifer, Sept. 2024