The book "How to Know the Wildflowers" (1922) by Mrs William Starr Dana has the author appreciating this plant for always being where it is supposed to be. She remarks at finding flowers that are supposed to be in wet places being found in dry sites and vice versa. But not the Turtlehead. She states that she does not ever remember seeing a Turtlehead "which had not gotten as close to a stream or marsh or a moist ditch as it well could without actually wetting its feet." She considers the flowers more striking than pretty and calls their common name "fairly appropriate". She also tells of hearing "unbotanical people" calling them "white closed gentians."

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Turtleheads are members of the Figwort Family (Scrophulariaceae) which includes Snapdragons that look similar. This perennial White Turtlehead is native to the Midwestern & Eastern US and southeast Canada in moist to wet soils in full sun to part-shade. It prefers a rich, organic soil as best. It does not do well with drought. It has fibrous roots. One can pinch or prune the plant down in May-June to keep it more compact. The Morton Arboretum recommends not cutting it down to the ground in fall. It is pollinated the most by Bumblebees, but some butterflies can also do it. The Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly likes to lay its eggs on the plant to bring forth caterpillars, which are the best food source for baby songbirds. It is supposed to be deer resistant, but one person here says it can be eaten by them. I have never seen this species sold by conventional nurseries or garden centers, which do sell cultivars of the Pink Turtlehead species that is native to the South US. It can be bought at some native plant nurseries as Prairie Nursery in WI and North Creek in PA and at some online mail order companies. It is a lovely perennial that should be used more.

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Flowering in late summer and early fall, this plant has white snapdragon-like flowers on 2 to 4 foot tall stems. It occurs in moist, partly shaded places throughout the eastern US. In the garden, plant it in full sun to light shade in moist soil. An early summer pinching will keep it shorter and fuller.

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The 2 lipped flowers resemble turtle heads. Distinctive flower shape reflected in genus name, a derivation of the greek chelone which means a tortoise.
A midwestern wildflower that lives in wet thickets, along streambanks and low ground.

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Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) is a larval host plant for the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly. The white blooms attract butterflies, as well as worker bumble bees and long-horned bees. Turtlehead may also attract hummingbirds.

Native to eastern North America, Turtlehead grows best in moist, rich soils in part shade. Deer consider Turtlehead to be quite tasty.

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