Turtlehead 'Leiderhosen' (Chelone glabra 'Leiderhosen')
kee-LO-nay GLAB-rah 'Leiderhosen'

Deciduous Perennial Upright, Strong-Stemmed in the Plantaginaceae Family

'Leiderhosen' is a named selection of white turtlehead discovered by David Leider at Hoffie Nursery, distinguished from the straight species by its strong, dark red stems and narrower, dark green foliage. Like its parent, it produces dense spikes of white, snapdragon-like flowers from midsummer into early fall, each one resembling a small turtle's head. The sturdier stems hold the flower spikes upright without the flopping the species can show in shadier spots.

Pros

  • Sturdier, upright stems than the species, less prone to flopping
  • Distinctive dark red stems and narrow dark green foliage add textural interest even before bloom
  • Reliable white, snapdragon-like flowers from midsummer into early fall
  • Deer and rabbit resistant; attracts butterflies and hummingbirds

Cons

  • Needs consistently moist, rich soil; will struggle if allowed to dry out
  • Less widely available than the straight species
Highlights

A Hoffie Nursery discovery named for its breeder, David Leider (the name plays on ‘lederhosen’), 'Leiderhosen' offers the straight species’ valuable late-season, pollinator-friendly bloom on noticeably sturdier, dark-stemmed plants that hold themselves upright without staking.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 36 inches tall. 18 - 24 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet
Zones 3a - 8b (Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts Pollinators, Attracts Wildlife, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Fall interest, Filler, Full Sun, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Rain Garden, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Low Maintenance, Medium, Nativar, Naturalizing, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Pond, Rabbit Resistant, Shade Tolerant, Showy Flowers, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period July To September
Flower Color White
 

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"Pond" #23
 

Plant Club Content

Commonly Planted with...

Shares its parent species’ preference for consistently moist, rich soil, so the same pairing applies: Piedmont Master Gardeners groups turtlehead with other moisture-loving perennials for the same damp site, and a classic choice is Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower), which blooms around the same late-summer window and contrasts nicely against turtlehead’s white flowers. (Carried over from the species’ own research, 1896, since no cultivar-specific companion-planting source was found.)
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/13 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 09/21 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!