About
Chelone obliqua is a perennial that grows upright, reaching heights of up to 60 cm. It features leaves that are distinctly veined and toothed. The plant produces compact spikes adorned with flowers that are 2 cm long, displaying shades of deep pink or purple.
About the genus
Chelone comprises herbaceous perennials characterized by their paired, undivided leaves and compact spikes of tubular flowers with two lips. These blooms typically emerge from late summer through early autumn.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Poorly-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing, North-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden
- Native to
- USA
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in deep fertile, moist soil in partial shade or sun. Tolerant of heavy clay soil, may also be grown in a bog garden; apply a deep mulch of organic matter in mid-spring
- Pruning
- Deadhead flower spikes as they fade
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown in containers in a cold frame in early spring; by division in spring; root soft tip cuttings in late spring or early summer
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to slugs and snails
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free