Turtlehead

Turtlehead, which gets its common and Latin names—the latter is Chelone glabra—from the resemblance its blossoms bear to that shelled-reptile's noggin, is a wetlands-loving flower I start looking for in early September. It's one of our late bloomers, and it turns out that I'm not the only organism seeking it out. A number of bumblebee species are Turtlehead's biggest fans, but their affection for the flowers is much more practical than mine is. The bees are essentially self-medicating, bee researcher Leif Richardson told me during a recent conversation. Turns out the bees are ingesting, from the blooms, bitter compounds called iridoid glycosides, and these substances can cause significance declines in the number of gut parasites that play can hob with the insect's digestive system. To me, Turtlehead is simply balm for the soul—and a fine subject for the camera. To the bumblebee, C. glabra's a floral pharmacy that freely dispenses life-enhancing drugs.