North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Back to Jeff's Plant Page | Jeff's Nature Pages


Plantaginaceae > Chelone (turtlehead)

Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii)
Mt. Mitchell State Park, Yancey Co., NC
13 Sep 2008

Uncommon in various habitats in western North Carolina.

Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii)
Mt. Mitchell State Park, Yancey Co., NC
13 Sep 2008

Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii)
Mt. Mitchell State Park, Yancey Co., NC
13 Sep 2008

Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii)
Mt. Mitchell State Park, Yancey Co., NC
13 Sep 2008

Young fruits (capsules) developing.

Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii)
Mt. Mitchell State Park, Yancey Co., NC
13 Sep 2008

Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii) Lyon's Turtlehead, Pink Turtlehead, Appalachian Turtlehead (Chelone lyonii)
Transylvania Co., NC
8 Sep 2012


Chelone (turtlehead) White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)
Quebec,Canada
5 Aug 2005

Statewide and uncommon to fairly common in NC, Turtleheads were formerly classified in the Scrophulariaceae and grow in moist soils along streams, swamps, etc.

Turtleheads are the caterpillar host plant for the spectacular Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly, which is rare and apparently declining in NC.


Annotated habitat and distribution information listed above is from Radford, Ahles, & Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. UNC Press; Alan Weakley's Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia; and from personal observations and discussions with Will Cook, Harry LeGrand, and Bob Wilbur. Supplemental resources include USDA plants website, and NatureServe.


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Created on ... Feb 3, 2007 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com