FoliageTurtlehead
Chelone lyonii
Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) is a medium-growing perennial, hardy in USDA zones 3-8, that matures to about 2-4 ft × 1.5-2.5 ft. It does best in full sun and part shade with high water needs in moist and occasionally-wet soil. Expect yellow, pink and purple blooms in summer and fall. It attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, stands up well to deer and wet soil.
- USDA zones
- 3-8
- Sun
- Full sun, Part shade
- Water
- High
- Mature size
- 2-4 ft × 1.5-2.5 ft
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Maintenance
- Medium
- Soil
- Moist, Occasionally-wet
- Bloom color
- Yellow, Pink, Purple
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Attracts
- Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Pollinators
- Tough against
- Deer, Wet soil
- Native to
- Southeastern United States
In the landscape
Data sources
Freeze survival
Will it survive your winters?
Hardiness zones show a normal bad winter. We check the worst one — Turtlehead is hardy to about -40°F (estimated from USDA zone 3), so we'll score it against the real coldest nights your area has actually had.
Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.
See the Turtlehead in your own yard
Upload a photo and our AI designs with real plants like this one — matched to your USDA zone.
