Chelone glabra, or Turtlehead, has showy spikes of 2″, hooded snapdragon-like flowers that resemble a turtle’s head. The blooms of Chelone glabra are sometimes tinged with pink. Chelone glabra forms dense clumps of crisp, dark green foliage.

A native to the eastern half of N. America, Chelone glabra is attractive to hummingbirds and to butterflies for which it is a larval host. It is typically found on wetlands, in wet open woods and prairies, in marshes and along shorelines of pond or creeks.

Turtlehead grows best in sun with moist, even boggy soil but will adapt to drier soil and tolerates clay soil. It will naturalize where happy. Drought tolerant, once well-established.