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"Hot Lips" Pink Turtlehead

Chelone lyonii is an excellent native addition to the perennial or rain garden.

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Updated:

September 17, 2025

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Chelone lyonii; Credit: Connie Schmotzer

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Description

An herbaceous perennial plant, pronounced kee-LO-nee, growing 1 to 3 feet tall, having a central branch. The leaves are opposite, lanceolate, hairless, serrated on the margin, and have a general tendency to droop. The upper surface of the leaves is dark green, and the underside is green. The central stem terminates in a short flower spike resembling a turtle’s head that blooms from late summer to early fall for roughly a month.

Growing Conditions

Chelone lyonii prefers moist, slightly acidic, organically rich soil (pH of 5.0-6.8) but tolerates neutral to basic clay soils. Light preference is partial shade. This is a low-maintenance plant requiring only an annual top dressing of compost or mulch to keep the plant healthy. It thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8.

The plant is deer and rabbit resistant, as most mammals find this plant to be bitter; however, if nothing else is available, they may have interest.

Ecological Value: Wildlife, Insects, Etc.

Source of pollen and nectar for bumblebees, butterflies, insects, and hummingbirds.

Landscaping

Chelone lyonii is an excellent native addition to the perennial or rain garden. It is a late-season bloomer, adding color when others are fading, or add it to a fall garden to create a longer season for pollinators to feed. Give the plant space to spread three feet—it spreads mostly by rhizomes and, sometimes, self-seeds, growing into a shrub-like plant. It is not invasive or aggressive, nor does it require deadheading.

Leave the plant to winter and pinch back in the spring. The standing foliage protects the plant’s crown from winter damage. If grown in shade, cut back by half to reduce legginess; otherwise, pinch back with thinning cuts for air flow.

Ethnobotany

The genus name, Chelone, was derived from a Greek myth where the nymph Chelone was turned into a turtle when she refused to attend the wedding of the gods Zeus and Hera.

The species name, lyonii, was in honor of the American botanist, John Lyon (1765-1814), an explorer of the Appalachian Mountain range. This plant was native to the mountains and stream areas of North Carolina.

Native Americans used Chelone as a tonic for indigestion and a salve for itching and inflammation.

Pests and Diseases

There are no serious pest problems for Chelone lyonii; however, slugs and snails may munch on foliage.

Powdery mildew is possible, especially when soils dry in hot summers; however, the grown plant may be groomed to reduce thickness to allow ventilation as a preventative measure as well as kept evenly moist.

Varieties

Chelone leoni - Pink Turtlehead
Our particular cultivar is “Hot Lips,” growing 2-4 feet. This is a popular cultivar with dark green foliage, red stems, and rose-ink flowers.

Another popular cultivar is “Tiny Tortuga,” which is a dwarf cultivar with normal-sized flowers. Growing 16 inches tall and 12 inches wide, it is a wise choice for the smaller garden plantings.

Chelone glabra - White Turtlehead
A popular cultivar of this variety is “Black Ace.” The leaves of this plant in spring are almost black with green undertones. The leaves lighten as the weather warms. Of note, this particular native variety is the main host plant for the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly. This beautiful and very distinctive butterfly is severely endangered.

Chelone obliqua - Red Turtlehead
A popular cultivar of this variety is “Alba,” which actually has white flowers, often confused with Chelone glabra.

Chelone cuthbertii - Cuthbert’s Turtlehead (purple with a yellow beard)
This rare variety is mainly found in the Blue Ridge area and typically not available from commercial growers.

Companion Plants and Suggestions for Pairings

An ideal companion for other moist soil-loving plants such as Ligularia (leopard plant), Hibiscus (rose mallow), Astilbe, Lobelia siphilitica (blue lobelia), Arthyrium (lady fern), and Lobelia cardinalis, (cardinal flower), as well as various sedges.