The Botanical Garden of the Piedmont logo features the abstracted blossom of the Turtlehead, a native Virginia flower. The Turtlehead was chosen because of its direct connection to the Garden’s mission – to cultivate a public garden that reflects the unique character of the Piedmont region.

There are three species of Turtlehead native to Virginia. The Garden’s logo depicts Chelone glabra, which is found throughout the State. Turtlehead is so named because the flower looks like the head of a turtle. Its flowers are two-lipped in a tight cluster at the tip of the stem. The family it is placed in was formerly called Scrophulariaceae family but is now the Plantaginaceae family. Other members of this family include Snapdragons, Foxglove, and Speedwell. Turtlehead is an important food source for the endangered Baltimore Checkered Spot butterfly. The plant is a late summer bloomer and is native to stream corridors and wetlands making it conducive for cultivating in sections of the Garden.

Our logo is one more way we are “Celebrating Virginia’s Flora.”