Chelone obliqua
Shell flower, Cod head, Bitter herb, Salt rheum weed, Fish mouth, Balmony, Red turtlehead
- Height × spread
- 0.9m × 0.46m
- Position
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Flowers
- Summer
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This lovely border plant has distinctive hooded flowers, hence the popular name 'turtle's head' although this may stretch the imagination a little. Fresh looking, deep lilac flowers come in September and October at the top of the upright columnar stems. Dark green, lance shaped, noticeably veined leaves are held in pairs up the length of the stem. The plant stands around 90cm (3ft) high with a 46cm (18in) spread. Give it any garden soil in a sunny to lightly shaded site where there is always some moisture.
- Flower colour
- Lilac, Pink, Purple
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Dome
- Height
- 0.9m
- Spread
- 0.46m
- Season of interest
- Autumn
- Flowers in
- Summer
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Wild flower meadow
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, likes part shade, likes light shade
- Soil type
- All types
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil, Damp and wet soil
- Hardiness
- Colder than -20C (RHS H7)
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring · Outdoors
Apply an organic mulch
Apply a 5-10cm layer of organic mulch around the plant in spring to reduce weeds, retain moisture and keep roots cool in summer. Leave a 10cm gap between the stem and the mulch to prevent stem rot. Before applying mulch, clear the area of weeds and water if it hasn't rained recently. Use biodegradable material such as garden compost, well-rotted manure, leaf mould or bark chippings as mulch.
A mulch is a covering that can: protect the soil surface from rain, heat and cold; deter weeds; provide nutrients. Organic indicates that material has vegetative origin e.g. manure, compost. Synthetics i.e. plastics, or stones are often called mulches.
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water to keep the soil moist
For best results, this plant needs soil that is always moist. Water deeply and regularly as soon as soil appears dry. Even for established plants in the ground, a dry week can cause problems with some soils. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather. Or install an automatic irrigation system which will do the hard work for you, even when you are away on holiday.
Without regular watering some plants never fully regain their beauty.
Spring - early-mid · Planting
Divide when too large
The plant can be divided if it becomes too large or another plant is required. This may involve physically dividing the clump in two, removing offsets or small bulbs or dividing rhizomes. The new plants can be grown in pots or planted in the ground.
Found in
More Chelone
Chelone
Shell flower, Turtlehead
Chelone glabra
Smooth turtlehead, Snakehead
Chelone lyonii
Lyon's turtlehead, Pink turtlehead, Red turtlehead, Shell flower
Chelone obliqua
Snakehead, Cod head, Bitter herb, Salt rheum weed, Fish mouth, Balmony, Red turtlehead