White turtlehead is a native herbaceous perennial wildflower in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) native to Canada and eastern and central USA in moist areas along stream banks, open woodlands, fens, flood plains and marshes. The genus name means "tortoise" in Greek. The specific epithet is Latin and means "smooth, without hairs." The common name comes from the shape of the flower, resembling a turtle's head. This plant grows up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide in full sun to partial shade in fertile, moist soils. Provide mulch to retain moisture. Too much shade will cause the plant to flop and require staking. Pinching stem tips in spring will produce a bushier plant. Propagation is by seed or plant division. The blooms appear on 6 to 8-inch stems in dense clusters that open from bottom to top in late summer to fall. Leaves are green and opposite with serrated margins. Use white turtlehead in borders or groups along ponds or streams. Works well in native pollinator gardens and rain gardens. Fall flowers attract many pollinators. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Mildew can occur if soils dry out.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
3 to 6 inches long, narrow, sharply toothed, paired leaves are turned 90 degrees from the pair below them. They are stalkless (sessile) or nearly so.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Lipped; Tubular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
A tight cluster of white 1-1.5 in., two-lipped flowers appears at tops of stems from July to October. The upper lip arches over lower lip similar to a snapdragon or turtlehead. Petals can be pink-tinged.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Oval seed capsule containing several seeds that are flattened and broadly winged. Fruit displays from September to November.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Green stems can be round or square
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
SE. Canada, N. Central & E. U.S.A
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV Canada: NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , QC
Wildlife value
This plant attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Also supports Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) which has one brood from May-June in the south and June-August in the north. It also supports Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) which has two to three broods from May-October except in the deep south where it can be seen all year. Common Buckeye rarely uses this host plant in North Carolina.