Hellebores are one of my favourite flowers. Often out in the winter when most of the garden is sound asleep, they have so much going for them, truly a great garden plant for our zone.
They have beautiful leathery evergreen leaves, the blossoms come in several colours, most survive torrential downpours with no damage to the blossoms, they tolerate dry shade (one of the hardest areas to grow in), self-seed readily, and are easy to care for.
We see four types commonly in local gardens, Corsican hellebore (H. argutifolius), a large upright plant with pale green flowers. It is a gangly plant, its interest lying in its unique tall prickly looking foliage. Stinking hellebore (H. foetidus) a compact plant with finely cut leaves; Christmas rose (H. niger), a compact grower, flowering in early winter with white flowers which often fade to pink and later green.
Often sold before Christmas, they are a good decor plant in pots which will be placed in covered areas for protection from rain and snow.
I usually move the plants on to the garden when the flowers begin to fade. My favourite Hellebore is Lenten Rose, (H. orientalis), which is widely hybridized resulting in a wide range of flower colours and forms.
A nice way to show off these plants before they make their way into a permanent spot in the garden is on surfaces near eye level to fully appreciate the downward facing flowers.
I leave the blossoms on the plant and enjoy the colour as it changes slowly to green and then sets seeds. I have had great luck with hellebores self-seeding. I remove the old leaves when they start to look bad in the early spring and chop them up as mulch around the plant, this provides a nice shelter for the seedlings. If there are signs of fungus on any of the stems, leaves or flowers these parts should be removed and disposed of in the green waste. Seedlings can be transplanted when they are two years old. They are too fragile before then.
Division is best done in early fall by cutting through the woody base with a sharp knife. Be sure to get some of the crown with a growth bud and some of the rhizome with roots attached. I don’t usually divide because I have such good luck with seedlings. I have not had any of the double varieties in gardens long enough to see if they will seed, and if they do, what flower type will result.
I am betting the seedlings, if there are any, will be true to one of the grandparents, not the parent plant. If you want to buy the fancy double varieties, visit the local garden centers frequently as the fancy flowering types get snapped up quickly.
Relatively pest-free, some years the new growth and flowers are bothered by fungus on the leaves and flowers (Coniothyrium hellebori), again, remove and dispose of any effected parts. Another problem I have noticed with hellebores that are grown under cover and not receiving adequate moisture, they are sometimes plagued by aphids, (Macrosiphum hellebori). These can be washed off with a gentle spray of water or squished with your fingers.
There are lots of Hellebores available now in local garden centres that could make a great gift for someone with a shade garden.
Heather Schamehorn is a certified residential landscape designer and consultant, educator, food grower, habitat and sustainability advocate and acupressure therapist. Contact via perennialpleasures.ca
