White Turtlehead

Chelone glabra

White Turtlehead

Mason Brock (Masebrock)

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Plantaginaceae
Genus:
Chelone
Species:
Chelone glabra

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
6-8 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
jul, aug, sep
Bloom Colors:
White, Pink

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★★★★★ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Papaipema nepheleptena, satyr pug (Eupithecia satyrata), Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), American bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), Bombus spec (Bombus spec), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, moist, organic soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
prefers wetland areas like marshes and stream banks

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.

Notes: Seeds may require light for germination.

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o