Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips' (Turtlehead) Unity Grown

Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips' is a showy ornamental cultivar of Chelone lyonii, also called pink turtlehead, a small to medium perennial wildflower found throughout the Appalachian range and New England, noted for its vibrant pink blossoms that last from late summer until early fall. Closely related to Chelone glabra, pink turtlehead is slightly more compact and typically grows to 2-4' tall, forming small colonies with a spread of up to about 24-36" wide; the 'Hot Lips' cultivar improves upon the parent species with darker, more intense, rose-pink flowers. Flowers contrast beautifully with dark, glossy-green, deer resistant foliage, adding intense color to the late summer garden; as a late-season bloomer, 'Hot Lips' is also late to emerge in the spring, so don't be too surprised if the plant is not apparent in a young form until late April or May.

Though its parent species is commonly found in wet or swampy areas, 'Hot Lips' prefers things a touch drier, thriving in medium-wet, loamy soils high in organic matter, which makes it an ideal choice for rain gardens, wetland margin plantings, or moist perennial borders, as well as any area from full sun down to fairly dense partial-shade. Though many varieties of Chelone like wetter conditions, 'Hot Lips' is additionally more tolerant of drier conditions than its relatives C. glabra and C. obliqua. As an added benefit to the garden, pink turtlehead's flowers are attractive to many pollinators including bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. As an ornamental cultivar noted for its blooms, 'Hot Lips' can be pinched back in the spring to produce bushier growth and more compact, profuse flowering.