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AR Gardener Magazine Articles
Hellebores
How about a plant that stays green year-round, loves the shade,
has beautiful flowers and blooms in late winter? Sound to good to be true–it’s
not, its hellebores.
Hellebores are commonly called Christmas Rose or Lenten Rose,
but there are actually more than twenty or so species of these delightful
plants. The two that are used most commonly (and most readily found in
nurseries) are Helleborus orientalis–the Lenten Rose, or Helleborus niger–the
Christmas Rose. Occasionally you can find the Helleborus foetidus, or stinking
hellebore, but all are worthwhile in the garden.
Hellebores do best in a shady location with good soil drainage.
Their evergreen foliage is relatively coarse and deeply lobed, and blends well
with other perennials. These low growing plants rarely get taller than 24
inches. While considered somewhat slow growing, in time they can colonize and
form a massed groundcover.
Early flowering and showy blooms are what really makes
Hellebores a super plant. Because they flower when the weather is cool, they
have an extremely long bloom period-- individual plants have been known to bloom
from February through April or even May. The flowers are nodding and large–
often 3-4 inches wide, and composed of five showy sepals. Flower color varies;
with shades of pink and purple, to whites and green, with a few yellows thrown
in for good measure. Since many plants are grown from seed, if you want a
particular color, you may need to buy them in bloom. Plants are being
vegetatively propagated, and this would assure you of bloom color, but check
when purchasing. If the tag or catalog says mixed colors, they are seedlings.
If you live in an area where deer eat up your plants, this is
another good choice, since Hellebores are poisonous. The name hellebore comes
from the Greek words helein–to injure, and bora – food. This refers to the
bitter tasting leaves and roots which are poisonous when eaten.
The first of the hellebores to bloom is Helleborus niger. This
white flowering plant typically has some red speckling to the blooms, but there
is great variability with seed propagated plants, with not only color, but
flower size and when the flowers open. Flowers have been known to open as early
as late January, but more commonly in February. This variety is not as tough as
others, and will take a bit more water than orientalis. It has a bit finer
texture to the leaves, and has less serration on the edges.
The easiest and showiest Hellebore is the Helleborus orientalis
(sometimes called Helleborus hybrida). Again, there is a great deal of
variability with flower color, but these plants are tough. The large flowers
have some stunning shades of plum, mauve, reds and pinks, along with some
whites. Speckling of flowers is common. Once established, they are extremely
drought tolerant, and bloom reliably every year, and can stay in bloom for at
least two months. It does best in shade, and will need some water through
establishment, and occasionally thereafter. It begins growing in the cool days
of winter, and usually stops putting on new foliage once flowering ceases, but
the foliage stays attractive the rest of the year. If there is one downside to
them, it is that the flowers nod–or face downwards. If you have somewhere in
your garden that has a raised slope that you can look up into them, they would
be even more stunning.
The H. foetidus, or stinking hellebore is very hardy, and
actually produces a stalk of upright flowers, however they are
green–occasionally rimmed with purple–not my idea of a good flower color! The
plants do have a strong odor if the leaves are crushed–thus the common name.
They do make a good companion plant for the shade garden, but are grown more for
their evergreen foliage, than a showy floral display.
Hellebores are long lived plants that rarely need division–in fact, most
would prefer to be left undisturbed. They have become more readily available at
local nurseries, and mail order catalogs, yet they are more common during the
cooler months, when they are in bloom. So add some excitement to your winter
garden, and plant some hellebores. No garden is complete without them.
This story first appeared in the
AR
Gardener Magazine.
By: Janet Carson
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