shellflower
Chelone obliqua
USDA zones5 to 9
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles moderate to wet soil
Size2 to 3 feet tall12 to 24 inches wide
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Rosy purple, pink, or white.
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Shellflower (Chelone obliqua) is a perennial for borders, pollinator gardens, rain gardens, and meadows. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and average to wet, loamy or clay soil. Rosy purple, pink, or white flowers open in early to late summer and again in early to late autumn, and butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees visit the blooms. Deer tend to browse other plants first.
Pairs well with Swamp milkweed, New England aster, Big bluestem, and Ostrich fern.
Native range
United States.