White Turtlehead

Chelone glabra

White Turtlehead is the species turtlehead. crisp white flowers with a hint of pink at the lips, blooming in late summer over dark, lance-shaped leaves. It's found naturally along stream banks, pond margins, and woodland edges throughout the eastern US, and that tells you exactly what it wants in the garden: consistent moisture and at least partial shade. In those conditions it's completely reliable, self-sufficient, and wildlife-rich. This species is the primary host plant for the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly, which lays its eggs exclusively on Chelone and a few related plants. If you're growing milkweed for monarchs, White Turtlehead is the companion plant you should be growing for Baltimore Checkerspots. The plant is also a favorite of hummingbirds in their fall migration, and bumblebees work the flowers until the frost.