The turtlehead plant scientific name is Chelone glabra. This plant actually goes by many names which are snakehead, fish mouth, shellflower, snakemouth, cod head, balmony and bitter herb. The flowers of this plant look like the head of a turtle, which earn the plant the popular name. The turtlehead plant is a member of the Figwort family. 

The turtlehead plant is an interesting perennial wildflower that is found in many parts of the eastern United States along stream banks, rivers, lakes and damp ground. These plants are hardy and they require minimal maintenance and they also provide lots of late season color to the landscape.


How to care for Turtlehead plant

This plant is with a mature height of about two to three feet, and a spread of 1 foot and pretty whitish pink flowers. Actually, turtlehead plant is a conversation piece in any garden. If you really have a moist place in your landscape, the turtlehead plant will be right at home, but they are hardy enough to grow in dry soil as well. Also in addition to moist soil, growing this plant also requires a soil pH that is neutral and either full sun or part shade. The Turtlehead plant can be started from seeds indoors, by directly sowing in a boggy location or with young plants or divisions.

Furthermore, Turtlehead plants are great for natural landscapes, the plant are also very pretty in a vase as part of a cut flower bouquet. The pretty buds will last about one week in a container. A lot of gardeners really like to grow the turtlehead plant around the perimeter of their vegetable gardens, because deer are not really interested in them. Their late summer blooms provide a lot of delicious nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies, which makes them a favorite of nature lovers. These plants divide easily and they enjoy a deep layer of organic mulch. This plant also does best in USDA planting zones 4-7. The Turtlehead plants are not suited for desert-like conditions and they will not really survive in southwestern United States.

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