Chelonopsis yagiharana
Common name: Japanese turtlehead
Chelonopsis yagiharana is an herbaceous perennial native to Japan. Its genus name suggests the plant resembles Chelone; however Chelone and Chelonopsis are in different families. Chelone is in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) while Chelonopsis is in the mint family (Lamiaceae).
Chelonopsis yagiharana is fairly low maintenance. It prefers a bright spot but should not be in full sun. It will thrive in rich, well-drained soil. C. yagiharana blooms from summer into fall. Its purple-pink flowers are trumpet-shaped, with the lower lobe longer and wider than the upper one. These flowers are set horizontally from the stem and are attractive to bees and butterflies. The dark-green leaves are lance-shaped and serrated and turn bronzy in autumn. The leaves, leaf stalks, calyses, and stems have abundant standing hairs.
Chelonopsis yagiharana can be found in Bed 86 at the upper end of the Japanese Collection.
Text and photos by Kumi Sutcliffe