Pink Turtlehead is a native wildflower with a very tidy clumping habit. It is in the figwort family and It is found in rich, moist soils in sun to part shade in wet woods and along streams in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Even though it's native range is small it is adaptable to home gardens and has naturalized in other areas. The specific epithet honors John Lyon (1765-1814), an American botanist. It does best in cool climate summers in part shade with protection from the hot afternoon sun. The more shade it is grown in the more likely it will need to be staked. Pinch stems to promote a busier growth. Plant with plenty of organic matter in medium to wet soils. Deer resistant. The deep pink blooms appear late summer into fall and are on tightly clustered terminal racemes. The blooms are similar to snapdragons in appearance. Works well in a woodland setting and moist sites along bogs, ponds or streams. They can be used in borders and mass plantings as long as the moisture requirements are met. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Powdery mildew can occur if soil is not keep moist and air circulation is poor.
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.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | 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
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
3 to 7 inches long and 2 inches across medium to dark green egg-shaped leaves are rounded at base with pointed tips. The margins are sharply toothed. The lower surface is pale green.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Raceme
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Up to 1-in., deep pink to rose-purple flowers with 2 petals bloom in dense racemes. The lower lip is bearded with deep yellow hairs. Blooms July- September.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
1/2 inch long oval seed capsules are initial green and turn darker shades of brown when the seeds approach maturity. It splits to release seeds. Fruit displays in October.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Light green central stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
South Eastern U.S.A
Distribution
USA: AL , CT , MA , ME , MS , NC , NY , SC , TN , WV
Wildlife value
Deer resistant
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Pond; Woodland
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Native Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden; Water Garden