Description

This plant is from Station Park.

2-3’H x 1’W

Bloom: pink

6″pot

Shade/sun with adequate water

Chelone lyonii ‘Hot Lips’ commands attention with lustrous, deep green foliage topped in August and September with rose pink, turtle-head-shaped flowers. For most of the season, red square stems are a truly noticeable feature and bronze green early season growth is very distinctive. Growing 2-3 feet tall, it can be pinched in May to produce a bushier plant. While Chelone generally prefers moist sites, Chelone lyonii ‘Hot Lips’ tolerates dry conditions very well once established and can take part shade. Over time, the plant will spread to form a lovely dense mass in the garden but also looks great as a late feature plant in a container garden.

Chelone lyonii is a native perennial wildflower that originally was found in Virginia to Alabama but has been introduced to the Northeast. Loving disturbed sites or along the margins of wetlands, lakes, or rivers, Chelone lyonii prefers moist rich soil sites and benefits from good composted leaf mulch in the garden. It grows in full sun to part shade but needs adequate moisture for full sun situations.