Beat Those Winter Garden Blues With Hellebores

I spend the entire month of February in anticipation of my hellebores blooming, and their dark, glossy evergreen foliage adds interest to my winter landscape as well. Hellebores are about the earliest of all perennials to bloom, and their bloom period is quite long-lasting as they will stay in bloom from February through June. Commonly named Christmas rose or Lenten rose, hellebores are totally trouble-free once established. Most plants are very long lived; however, they are very slow to get started and you may wait three years for flowers and up to eight years for a nice, thick clump to form. But hellebores are worth the wait as their flowers make an impact in the shade garden, even when planted alone.

The most popular of the hellebores is the Lenten rose, Helleborus orientalis. The flower stems arise from the ground, forming many white, green, or mauve to purple flowers starting in late February and lasting well into June. The Bearsfoot hellebore, Helleborus foetidus, is a recently awakened sleeper among hellebores. H. foetidus has compound leaves which consist of narrow fingerlike leaflets, which provide outstanding foliage with small greenish flowers that bloom from February to June. The Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, produces white flowers as early as January, and the flowers provide a dramatic contrast to the dark green foliage. H. niger is the more difficult to establish, but will thrive where conditions are to its liking.

Hellebores put on their best show in partial shade in well-drained soil with good organic matter, but I also have one in heavy clay soils and it is thriving. They do not like their feet wet anytime of the year, and they are not very tolerant of intense sunlight. During severe winters, the foliage may scorch or turn brown, and I recommend pruning the damaged leaves out before spring blooms appear. Hellebores make a dramatic effect when planted under deciduous trees and shrubs. I have my hellebores inter-planted with hosta and bleeding heart, as well as spring bulbs such as crocus, reticulate iris and daffodils.

The word hellebore comes from a Greek word meaning “food to kill.” The leaves and roots of hellebores are quite poisonous, so whenever hellebores are introduced into the landscape, care should be taken. Even the deer stay clear of hellebores. Since hellebores are slow to establish, they can be somewhat costly to purchase and may not look fantastic in a pot in a nursery. But once established, I guarantee they are well worth the price you pay. For more information on hellebores and other perennials, see Armitage’s Garden Perennials – A Color Encyclopedia, Allan M. Armitage, Timber Press, 2000.

Mary Kroening, Missouri Master Gardener Coordinator and UMC Horticulturalist (573) 882-9633