Zeus and Hera invited all the gods, men and animals to their wedding. Chelone, a nymph, dared not to go and Hermes changed her into an animal –  the tortoise – which would bear her name.

Aesop tells a similar story of a tortoise that did not attend the wedding of Zeus. When asked why she said ‘there’s no place like home’ and so Zeus punished her with a house she had to carry everywhere on her back.

 

 

The perennial Chelone is a native plant with clean, green foliage. In late summer tall spikes of white or pink flowers bloom. The plant is named after its flowers, which look like turtles coming out of their shells (some imagination may be needed to see this!).

The plants are deer resistant and attract butterflies. They are shade tolerant and like moist to wet soil. We have both the white flowered chelone (above right) and a pink variety called ‘Hot lips’ (above left). Both varieties are covered in buds right now, some of which are just starting to open.