Chelone glabra

Chelone glabra, or white turtlehead, is a herbaceous species of plant native to North America. Its native range extends from Georgia to Newfoundland and Labrador and from Mississippi to Manitoba. Its common name comes from the appearance of its flower petals, which resemble the head of a tortoise. In fact, in Greek, chelone means "tortoise" and was the name of a nymph who refused to attend the wedding of Zeus and was turned into a turtle as punishment. Its natural habitat is wet areas, such as riparian forests and swamps.Its classification at the family level has in the past been controversial, but as a result of DNA sequence studies, it is now regarded as belonging to family Plantaginaceae (the plantain family). In early taxonomic treatments the species was divided into a number of subspecific categories but more recent studies indicate no morphological or genetic basis for these taxonomic categories. [11]

Characteristics

Plant Type

Herb

Life Cycle

Perennial

Genus

Chelone

Family

Plantaginaceae

Hardiness Zone

3-8

Mature Height

0.2 m to 2.44 m

Mature Spread

46 cm to 76 cm

Leaf Color

Green

Leaf Type

Deciduous

Flower Color

White, Pink

Flower Size

2.54 cm to 3.81 cm

Bloom Time

Mid summer

Planting Time

Spring

Harvest Time

Mid summer, Late summer

Tags (5)

Common Names (5)