64 GARDEN GATE | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149
Tur tlehead
Chelone lyoniiPerennial
Blooms Hooded, snapdragonlike,
rose-pink flowers with sparse yellow
beards inside the lower lip in late
summer to fall
Light Full sun to full shade
Soil Moist, well-drained
Pests None serious
Size 24 to 48 in. tall, 18 to 30 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 5 to 9Looking for a late-season display for a part-shade
situation? Underplant little bluestem with turtlehead
and bugleweed for a great-looking combination that
works well for a dry stream bed or a rain garden.A Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Twilight Zone’
Ornamental grass; glossy purple-bronze panicles in late
summer into fall atop nearly iridescent silver-mauve-purple
stems beginning in midsummer; full sun; 48 to 54 in. tall,
12 to 24 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9
B Tu r t l e h e a d Chelone lyonii See information above left.
C Bugleweed Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’ Perennial;
blue-violet flower spikes in spring above variegated dark green
foliage; full sun to full shade; 4 to 6 in. tall, 10 to 24 in. wide;
cold hardy USDA zones 3 to 9Grow Late-Season
Color in a Snap
T
here really aren’t a lot of shade-loving
perennials that produce blossoms
late in the season when everything
else is beginning to look a little dowdy.
But that’s exactly what turtlehead
does during the shorter days of late
summer and early fall. This unusual
and attractive plant gets its name from
the curious pretty pink fl owers that
resemble open-mouthed turtles found
at the tips of each of the stems.
EMBRACE A NATIVE There are
six species in the genus Chelone, all of
which are native to North America. Our
focus is on Chelone lyonii, which has
pink fl owers with yellow beards. It grows
naturally in the southern Appalachian
mountains north to New England along
stream banks, damp woods and swamps.
During the spring and summer,
turtleheads are perfectly content to let
others take center stage in the garden
as plants mature into upright mounds of
sturdy foliage. But during the dog days
of summer, clusters of lipped, tubular,pretty pink blooms open atop each slen-
der stem. The snapdragonlike blossoms
are primarily pollinated by bumblebees,
who are strong enough to pry open the
jaw-shaped petals. And turtlehead is the
primary host plant for the caterpillars of
the Baltimore checkerspot butterfl y.
NOT ALL WET Turtlehead prefers
part shade but can be grown in sunnier
spots if given consistent moisture. This is
the most sun-tolerant of the turtlehead
species. Most tolerate drier soil once
they become established. So feel free
to site turtlehead anywhere in part sun
to deep shade. Pinch back the stems in
spring to produce more compact plants,
especially if growing in full shade where
they are more likely to need some
support in the form of staking.
Grow turtlehead with other peren-
nials in naturalized areas. It looks good
with hostas, monkshood and hardy
geranium—or, as you see in “A Trio of
Natives” below, backed by ornamental
grasses and carpeted with bugleweed.ILLUSTRATIONS: Carlie HamiltonA Trio of Natives
Botanical
NamesHosta
Hosta spp. and hybrids
Monkshood
Aconitum napellus
Perennial geranium
Geranium spp. and hybridsGG14964_65_EC.indd 64GG14964_65_EC.indd 64 6/26/2019 12:18:10 PM6/26/2019 12:18:10 PM64 GARDEN GATE | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149
Tur tlehead
Chelone lyonii
Perennial
Blooms Hooded, snapdragonlike,
rose-pink flowers with sparse yellow
beards inside the lower lip in late
summer to fall
Light Full sun to full shade
Soil Moist, well-drained
Pests None serious
Size 24 to 48 in. tall, 18 to 30 in. wide
Cold hardy USDA zones 5 to 9Lookingfora late-seasondisplayfora part-shade
situation?Underplantlittlebluestemwithturtlehead
andbugleweedfora great-lookingcombinationthat
workswellfora drystreambedora raingarden.A LittlebluestemSchizachyriumscoparium‘TwilightZone’
Ornamentalgrass;glossypurple-bronzepaniclesinlate
summerintofallatopnearlyiridescentsilver-mauve-purple
stemsbeginninginmidsummer;fullsun; 48 to 54 in.tall,
12 to 24 in.wide;coldhardyinUSDAzones3 to 9
B Tu r t l e h e a dChelonelyonii Seeinformationaboveleft.
C BugleweedAjugareptans‘BurgundyGlow’Perennial;
blue-violetflowerspikesinspringabovevariegateddarkgreen
foliage;fullsuntofullshade;4 to6 in.tall, 10 to 24 in.wide;
coldhardyUSDAzones3 to 9Grow Late-Season
Color in a Snap
T
here really aren’t a lot of shade-loving
perennials that produce blossoms
late in the season when everything
else is beginning to look a little dowdy.
But that’s exactly what turtlehead
does during the shorter days of late
summer and early fall. This unusual
and attractive plant gets its name from
the curious pretty pink fl owers that
resemble open-mouthed turtles found
at the tips of each of the stems.
EMBRACE A NATIVE There are
six species in the genus Chelone, all of
which are native to North America. Our
focus is on Chelone lyonii, which has
pink fl owers with yellow beards. It grows
naturally in the southern Appalachian
mountains north to New England along
stream banks, damp woods and swamps.
During the spring and summer,
turtleheads are perfectly content to let
others take center stage in the garden
as plants mature into upright mounds of
sturdy foliage. But during the dog days
of summer, clusters of lipped, tubular,pretty pink blooms open atop each slen-
der stem. The snapdragonlike blossoms
are primarily pollinated by bumblebees,
who are strong enough to pry open the
jaw-shaped petals. And turtlehead is the
primary host plant for the caterpillars of
the Baltimore checkerspot butterfl y.
NOT ALL WET Turtlehead prefers
part shade but can be grown in sunnier
spots if given consistent moisture. This is
the most sun-tolerant of the turtlehead
species. Most tolerate drier soil once
they become established. So feel free
to site turtlehead anywhere in part sun
to deep shade. Pinch back the stems in
spring to produce more compact plants,
especially if growing in full shade where
they are more likely to need some
support in the form of staking.
Grow turtlehead with other peren-
nials in naturalized areas. It looks good
with hostas, monkshood and hardy
geranium—or, as you see in “A Trio of
Natives” below, backed by ornamental
grasses and carpeted with bugleweed.ILLUSTRATIONS: Carlie HamiltonA Trio of Natives
Botanical
Names
Hosta
Hosta spp. and hybrids
Monkshood
Aconitum napellus
Perennial geranium
Geranium spp. and hybrids