Hellebores have been grown in gardens for thousands of years but underused by American gardeners in modern times. Recently new hybrids of Christmas and Lenten Rose have sparked great interest in gardeners. They come in a wide range of colors and grow in shady conditions. They are hardy, fairly easy to grow and deer resistant.
There are a number of species of hellebores that are native to the mountainous, wooded regions of Southern and central Europe and the Balkans. When modern plant breeders begin to hybridize the species they provided gardeners with a variety of interesting colors and even double flowered hellebores, which sparked new interest in growing the plant.
Steeped in the murky mist of medicinal and magical, used in poisoning along with hemlock and other deadly herbs, the white flowered Christmas rose was often found in cottage gardens. In the mild wintered climates of southern Europe the plant bloomed near Christmas, when little else bloomed. It was called the Lenten Rose in colder climates where it bloomed later.
Hellebore Habits
Hellebores are hardy from zone 4-9. They are evergreen, retaining their leaves until a new set grow in the spring. The thick leathery leaves are compound, with 7-9 leaflets of glossy green. The roots are rhizomes and they spread slowly to form clumps of hellebores 15-18 inches in height.
Hellebores flowers are interesting. What we perceive as flower petals are actually sepals. The true flower petals are in the center and they are modified to form little cups that hold nectar to attract pollinators. The sepals often retain a greenish tinge to the back but the part of the sepal we call the flower now comes in colors from deep plum to white. Some of the sepal/petals can be spotted or edged in another color.
The flowers are 2-3 inches wide, lightly cupped and nodding. They often stay on the plant for a month. An established plant with good conditions produces dozens of flowers. After the flowers fade attractive seed pods are left, unless you remove them to prevent invasion by seedlings.
Growing Hellebores
Hellebores are plants from the edges of deciduous woodlands. They like shade in the summer but sun in the winter and early spring before the trees leaf out. They like rich, organic soil, like that in forests covered with decaying leaves. They prefer slightly alkaline soil. Gardeners can reconstruct these conditions by planting Hellebores under deciduous trees or in lightly shaded areas and working plenty of organic matter into the soil.
Hellebores dislike being moved once planted into the garden so make your site choice a good one. They will spread slowly from rhizomes and by seed to from large clumps.
Gardeners can transplant new seedlings when they first pop up. It will take 2-3 years before they bloom. Hellebores don't do well with division of the clumps; they will often sulk for a few years before blooming again if divided.
Hellebores do not need fertilization but they do need to be watered when conditions are dry. It is especially important to keep Hellebores moist while they are getting established.
They do appreciate additions of organic matter such as chopped leaves from time to time.
While the leaves are evergreen, they can look pretty bad in early spring. As soon as you see new leaves emerging in the spring you can cut off the old foliage.
Choosing Varieties
Hellebores are propagated by seed. The seed of the new hybrid varieties does not come true to color, so if you want a specific color you must purchase a plant that has already bloomed so the bloom color is known. That is also true of double flowered forms, they do not come true from seed. The true Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger, with white flowers and some other species will come true from seed.
Hellebores are often sold as color mixes or strains, and the plants you buy will have a variety of colors. Good strains are -Double Queen - „¢ and -Heronswood Doubles' with double flowers in many colors, -Royal Heritage„¢ and -Brandywine' are mixtures of single flowers in many colors.
Some individual Hellebores of note are; -Goldfinch', a light golden flower, -Walhelivor' which has leaves with silver veining and red flower stems, white flowers, -Mrs Betty Ranicar', pure white double flowered and -Blue Lady' which has deep purple blue flowers.
Using Hellebores in the Landscape
Hellebores make an excellent evergreen groundcover under trees and in other shady areas. Their colorful and long lasting flowers bring color to drab early spring landscapes. They are sometimes potted and used as Christmas floral decorations.
Cautions
All parts of the hellebore plant are poisonous, but the roots are extremely so. While once used in herbal remedies, it is not recommended you experiment with it. Many accidental or deliberate overdoses resulting in death are recorded in history.
Deer and other animals will not eat the plants. Some people get an allergic reaction when handling the plants so gloves should be used.
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