Chelone glabra 'Leiderhosen' - White Turtlehead

White Turtlehead 'Leiderhosen'
Chelone glabra

Fabulous WNC Native plants that are wildly underutilized in the landscape. Showy white flowers summer to fall attract many pollinators, including bees that will crawl inside and hilariously leave their fuzzy bee butts hanging out. 'Leiderhosen' features extra-purple stems, and strappy slender green foliage, making these striking plants in the garden. Excellent in wet areas, in borders, or massed along ponds or streams.

Fantastic for: Butterfly Gardens, Cottage Gardens, Forest Gardens, Native Gardens, Pollinator Gardens, Rain Gardens, Shade Gardens, Water Gardens, and more!

🦋Host plant for butterflies and moths, including the magnificent Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly!

🐝Bumblebees adore the flowers.

🐦Birds! According to the Audubon Society, these plants may help Cardinals, Chickadees, Jays, Hummingbirds, Nuthatches, Orioles, Thrushes, Vireos, Waxwings, Wood Warblers, Wrens, and more.

🦌Deer do not particularly care for these plants.

Partial shade, can tolerate full sun with ample moisture. Happiest in rich, wet soils. These plants can be planted near Black Walnut trees.

1-3'T x 1-2'W. 

Zone 3a, cold hardy down to -40F.

💚Plant Nerd: Chelone, the genus name, is a reference to Greek mythology. There's several different sources with varying stories, but the gist is that Hermes invited all manner of people and animals to the grand wedding of Zeus and Hera. One nymph decided that she'd much rather stay at home, and as punishment was turned into a turtle, so she could forever be at home wherever she went. For botanists, the shape of the flowers reminded them of turtles.

🐝Beefy Bumblebees: The unique shape of these flowers is described as a "two lipped", or bilabiate corolla, with two fused petals on top, and three fused petals on the bottom. Bumblebees who are strong enough to open the "lips" and crawl through are the main pollinators of these plants. In 2015, scientists discovered that primarily this means Bombus vagans, or the half-black bumblee, as the #1 pollinator for these plants, due to their specific size and body shape. The bumblebees are rewarded wtih rich nectar and pollen for their efforts; this mutually beneficial arrangement (a love story, really) ensures the survival of both. Sadly, these cute fuzzy bees are in decline. Planting ample Chelone glabra and other native plants is great way to help!