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A Welcomed Addition | Turtlehead
Written By: Jeannie Chambers - The Accidental Gardener | Issue: 2020/10 - October
Chelone is a genus of four species and has several nicknames beside Turtlehead. She has also been known as Balmony, Bitter Herb, Fish Mouth, Snakehead and more, but enough of the name calling.
Rumor has it, name calling is what caused her to have a name at all.
Waaaayyyy back in the day, during the other world known as the Greek Mythology days, Chelone was a nymph, a beautiful forest maiden.
There was a big wedding bash planned to celebrate the marriage of Zeus and Hera. Chelone was invited, but refused to go, and if that wasn’t bad enough, she made a lot of disparaging remarks against the couple.
Well, you may have heard the term “Don’t Mess with Mother Nature,” but Chelone did just that and as a result, she along with her house were pitched into the river. She emerged as a tortoise having to carry her house on her back.
Chelone is a perennial wildflower found all over the Eastern United States.
The Chelone glabra has a white flower with just a blush of pink, sort of like white socks after they have been washed with a red towel.
The Chelone obliqua has deeper shades of rose pink or purple flowers.
This plant likes wet feet and can be planted in partial shade or full sun, but they like a moist, mucky soil. If in full sun, the plant should have lots of water, but if in woodland areas, a moist area will work fine. Growing 2-3 feet tall, she can be planted near Joe Pye Weed for a nice showing.
There are medicinal uses for this plant as well, but as always, take these words with a grain of salt and never experiment with plant uses unless you’ve studied thoroughly and sought advice from professionals. Turtlehead can be made into a tonic to help with indigestion or constipation, or as a balm to relieve itching.
If you’re itching for an almost carefree, natural looking wildflower to add to your woodland garden, Chelone will brighten your Fall days.,
