Light/Watering
- Hellebores thrive in slightly shaded, evenly moist, well-drained soil.
- Long dry spells should be adequately hydrated; once established, they are drought-tolerant.
- Hellebores thrive in soil that has been greatly improved by organic matter.
- The Helleborus x hybridus (formerly known as Helleborus orientalis) hybrids prefer a soil pH that is close to neutral or even alkaline; if your soil is excessively acidic, add lime.
- The Christmas Rose (H. niger) may take some time to establish itself; to speed things along, consider adding some magnesium to the environment in the form of Epsom salts or dolomitic limestone.
- Early in the spring, apply a little amount of balanced, granular fertilizer to the plants.
Can hellebores withstand complete shade?
I like having a four-season garden, so having blossoms that begin in late winter and early spring is quite satisfying to me. At this point, hellebores command attention. They resurface with the first warming sunrays, even after being flattened by the bitter frost and snow of winter. You can’t help but admire a plant that braves the elements and still manages to flourish this time of year. And in my Pennsylvania garden, the blooms bloom from March to May. The fact that they are excellent shade plants and essentially evergreen just to their appeal. The Oriental hybrid hellebores are the most widely grown and, incidentally, the simplest (Helleborushybridus cvs., USDA Hardiness Zones 69). Since they bloom around the start of Lent, they are known as Lenten roses. These plants are unique in the yard since they are long-blooming, low-maintenance perennials that can endure even dry shade and even bloom before the snow melts.
With the bewildering variety of options available, finding something you like is simple. In spite of this, certain hellebores are superior than others, and by arming yourself with some information, you may be certain to leave your neighborhood garden center with the best of the bunch.
To get what you want, buy it in bloom
Hellebores are available in almost any shade you can imagine, including white, green, pink, apricot, and purple, to mention a few. Breeders have yet to produce a pure blue or true red that is deserving, but we are working on it. Every year, it seems that my preferences for hellebores’ hues shift. I seem to favor yellows and blacks right now (which are really a shade of deep purple).
However, one is not constrained to this gamut of solid colors. Hellebores can also have lovely veining or picotee edges, which are ones that are a distinct color than the body of the flower. They may feature spots or a dark core on the inside that draws the viewer’s attention to the blossom.
The variety of choices includes the floral shapes as well. Hellebores can also have anemone-shaped blooms, which resemble something in between a single and a double, in addition to single, double, and star-shaped flowers.
Buying a hellebore when it is in bloom is the best method to make sure you get what you want. Look for flowers with colors that aren’t muddled by too much green, unless the green is intentional. If the flower has veins, spots, or a picotee shape, all of the petals should have the same markings (which are actually sepals).
Oriental Hybrid Hellebores
They like partial shade but may survive in both practically full sun and almost full shade. Flower output may be hampered by dense shading.
They typically like slightly acidic to neutral soils. Avoid planting them in an area that is too damp because this promotes decay.
The earth should only partially encase the crown. Hellebores produce less flowers when planted too deeply, just like peonies.
They appreciate an annual application of well-rotted manure or compost to promote healthy development, although they’ll overlook it for a year or two. Remove the previous year’s foliage in late January or early February, before the buds open, to enhance the view of their blossoms. Old leaves won’t disintegrate in less than a year, so don’t toss them in the compost pile.
They self-sow quickly. It can be a good idea to discourage this behavior in order to maintain the garden neat and to stop seeds from sprouting in the crowns of other plants. Don’t count on seedlings to closely resemble their parents. Although it is not required, division is the greatest way to produce an exact replica of a specific plant. Simply use your hands to pry apart the crown in the early spring or late summer. Make sure the plants receive enough water.
Hellebores with a short stem at the base of the flower, called a pedicel, that turns the blossom outward rather than downward are my favorite. I don’t mind whether the blossom hangs. I like turning up their faces and, if you like, “playing” with the plants.
You will need to conduct some thorough research if the hellebore you wish to purchase is not in bloom. Unless the parent was specially bred to generate such offspring, hellebore seedlings are unlikely to resemble the plant they came from. Better garden centers should be able to respond to inquiries regarding the parentage of the plant and if it is likely to be true to type.
Since there aren’t many called hellebores in existence and with a keen eye, you can find an unidentified plant that is equivalent to the one you’re looking for, I typically don’t advise hunting for them. A hellebore is frequently identified as being a member of a certain strain or line (such as the Royal Heritage Strain or Pine Knot Strain) that was bred for a particular characteristic, such as color saturation, color variation, or bloom shape. Asking about the qualities your prospective purchase was bred for is a smart idea.
Hellebores, in my opinion, are nature’s wintertime gift. They usher in spring before the daffodils and are the ideal remedy for long winters and cabin sickness.
Can hellebore plants be grown beneath trees?
The majority of trees can tolerate having hellebores planted beneath them. They enjoy the canopy of shade, after all. But there are lots of exceptions!
Regardless of the type of tree they are growing beneath, hellebores won’t thrive in a particularly dry environment, so don’t expect them to perform well in that environment.
Also keep in mind that the pH isn’t a problem unless it’s exceptionally low or high as long as the soil is rich and full of nutrients.
Azalea and Rhododendron
Plant some Lenten roses beneath and around your rhododendron and azalea plants for an evergreen show that comes to life in the spring and early summer when they are in bloom (Rhododendron spp.).
Regarding soil characteristics, needed levels of moisture, and lighting, they have a lot in common. They make perfect companion plants, so you can’t go wrong.
Where should a hellebore be planted for optimum results?
Depending on the variety, plant hellebores in full or partial shade at the front of a border. They can be grown in pots in a compost with a loam basis, but they thrive in rich, well-drained soil.
When to plant hellebores
As long as the soil is not frozen, hellebores can be planted at any time of the year. The majority of hellebores are listed for sale from late winter to early spring when they are in bloom, but you might locate one in a garden center’s clearance section in the summer that you can plant with no issues. Keep in mind that hellebores detest being moved after being planted, so avoid doing so.
How to plant hellebores
Hellebores should be planted in the same way as other perennials, with a spadeful of garden compost and a sprinkle of mycorrhizal fungi to aid in the plant’s establishment. Water thoroughly and gently press in.
Watch Monty Don’s instructional video on planting and growing hellebores to learn about planting depth, soil preparation, and how to prevent leaf spot disease. Additionally, Monty discusses how to select the best flowers for immediate effect and displays the variety of his collection of hellebores:
How to care for hellebores
When blossoms and new foliage appear, trim back the thick, leathery leaves, and mulch the plants every year with well-rotted compost or manure. Once established, hellebores struggle to be moved, therefore try to avoid doing so.
How to propagate hellebores
Avoid dividing hellebores since they struggle to be transported. In order to develop new plants for nothing, gather ripe seed and sow it into modules. Alternately, allow the hellebores in your garden to self-seed. By letting them self-seed at random, you’ll produce a hodge-podge of various colors and flower shapes; you might even develop your own new hybrid! No hellebore seedling will be true to its parents.
Growing hellebores: problem-solving
Leaf spot, a fungus infection that causes unattractive brown and black patches on the leaves, is the major foe of hellebores. When you see damaged foliage, remove it.
Here, Monty Don shows how to recognize hellebore leaf spot and describes how to prevent it from spreading to other plants:
Advice on buying hellebores
- Garden centers sell hellebores, but you can get a broader selection at specialized nurseries and online
- Avoid double-flowered hellebores if you are growing for bees because single-flowered plants are the best for pollinators.
What kind of light is required by hellebore?
Light. In the summer, hellebores like some to complete shade, but in the winter, they need more light. Under a deciduous tree, where they are shaded by foliage in the summer but exposed to full sun once the tree loses its leaves in the fall, is the best place to plant.
Under pine trees, are hellebores able to grow?
Judith Knott Tyler and her husband, Dick, spent almost 30 years producing and raising hellebores on a former tobacco plantation in Virginia that had been in her family for six generations. Since Judith’s passing in 2016, Dick has carried on with that job. She and I had previously discussed several extra-gorgeous types of hellebores, some companion plants that are preferred at Pine Knot Farms, how to get these deer-resistant perennials established in the garden, how semi-shade (and not darkest darkness!) is more to their liking, and how.
My initial inquiry when Dick and Judith contacted me about placing advertisements on the internet was: “You didn’t write the book on hellebore, did you? And sure, Judith contributed to “From Timber Press, Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide.
Here’s how the talk with Judith went after I asked some of the questions you frequently ask me and added some of my own:
a hellebore q&a with pine knot farms
It’s safe to assume that you have a long-standing passion (maybe even an obsession?) for hellebores. What about these plants, which you found before most of us, attracted you to them?
A. We initially fell in love with hellebores, presumably due to the season they bloom. We both liked being outside in the cold. From British Columbia, where activities can be done outside year-round, we relocated to Virginia. Whether you want to walk, ski, or snowshoe, you can do it outside. Here in January, the weather is considerably more suitable for outdoor activities than it is there.
In 1983, we received our first hellebore. In addition to blooming in the winter, hellebores were an incredibly tolerant plant in the garden.
Q. Of course, based on your writing and reputation, I know you couldn’t just enjoy the plants for what they are and leave it at that; you also started breeding [for example, the photo above shows some of Pine Knot’s double darks from their Southern Belles line].
A. I started playing around attempting to create a hellebore with only white blossoms because it was the sluggish time at the nursery when they blossomed. Later, when I started to truly understand breeding instead of just bumbling around like a crazy bumblebee, I discovered that removing spots from a bloom was considerably harder than adding them.
When we visited the U.K. for the first time in 1992 and saw what was offered there, we were inspired to come back, get rid of our plants, and start again. They had clear, spotless whites, pinks, dark purples, flushed purples, and blue-greens—colors we had never even dared to imagine. genuinely charming
I frequently receive the following query from readers: “I planted hellebores from the garden center last year, but they didn’t really do much, or flower this year. What’s the issue?
A. There are a few potential causes for the issue. If you bought a little plant, it might simply require some time to mature. Considering that hellebores flower two to three years after being transplanted, perhaps your plant was only a baby. Like many other plants, hellebores require time to establish themselves.
If you bought a bigger plant that was in bloom, it’s not unusual for the plant to take
The Lenten rose kinds of hellebore—also known as the orientalis hybrids or, more properly, Helleborus x hybridus—are the most popular variety sold. They have a very deep and extensive root system. It’s not unusual to buy a hellebore plant with roots curled tightly around the container.
This does not necessarily imply that the plant was grown improperly; rather, as the plant reaches a particular age, it simply begins to produce many roots very quickly. The plant can move out of its container shape and into the lovely, rich soil you put it in by loosening the root ball or cutting the roots in a few spots.
Q. In general, what conditions and attention do hellebores prefer in order to thrive in our gardens?
A. Hellebores can thrive in a variety of environments. They are shade-tolerant plants, despite the fact that most of us think of them as “shade plants.”
In the Balkans, we observed that although plants growing in the open would have many more blossoms on stronger plants, those growing in the woodland would have very few flowers.
However, grasses or bracken (Pteridium spp.) would develop around them in the next field throughout the summer to provide some shade. Growing hellebores alongside other taller perennials or shrubs that offer some summertime shade is an easy way to replicate this in the garden.
A. Ideally, they want a soil that drains effectively, and in our opinion, too much water kills more plants than any other factor.
Most of us are not as fortunate as we would want to be able to cultivate on soil that we can dig our hands into. For instance, I would break my fingers if I attempted to stick them into our soil. We have a few inches of forest duff in our soil, followed by 10 to 12 inches of tree roots and boulders, then red clay. We live in a forest. For a reason, the South is renowned for producing quality bricks. The majority of the bricks are made of our soil.
Once they adjust, hellebores can handle even this soil with ease. After planting, we must make some adjustments as we try to get the roots of the plants to emerge from the soilless potting medium they have been growing in.
It can be challenging to tell if the plant is too moist or too dry at this time. Since most plants are now cultivated in soilless medium, which dries up much more quickly than the soil around it, special attention must be paid to watering during this transitional period.
One more piece of advice: In areas of particularly heavy clay, we amend the soil before planting by adding organic matter, like composted pine bark or other materials.
Q. How about continuous upkeep? When the snow melts, I trim the leaves off my x hybridus or Lenten rose varieties, but does that work for all species?
A. Once Helleborus plants are established, little upkeep is required. We advise people to treat them similarly to peonies, which only require an annual clean-up and some compost.
Prior to bloom season, we trim back the Lenten rose varieties’ old foliage. While it is simple to grab the leaves and simply bash it back if you do this in late autumn or early winter, waiting until the blossom stalks start to appear requires considerably more care. [Note: In the North, you probably have until late winter or even the earliest spring because flower stems may not push until then.]
Simply clip off any withering or damaged foliage as needed because Helleborus niger does not want to have all of its foliage removed.
The “caulescent species,” which are those with an above-ground stem, such as H. foetidus and H. argutifolius, fall somewhere in the middle. Remove any broken stem leaves, but wait until the base of the new growth breaks before cutting the stem back. Additionally, removing the stalk also means removing the blossoms.
What about dividing and transplanting? X hybridus varieties and Lenten roses don’t seem to require it, yet people frequently ask me when to divide.
A. At around 25 years old, Lenten rose plants may reach their maximum size of roughly 3 feet across. I advise people to think of them as long-lived peonies since, unlike many perennials (such as Siberian irises), they don’t fade out in the middle.
A mature plant’s rootball can be the size of a bushel basket; keep this in mind before considering whether or not to transfer it. To dig the plant, one would require a very strong back. Lenten rose varieties must be hacked apart; unlike daylillies, they cannot be twisted apart with the hands and wrists.
Helleborusballardiae ‘Raulston and the interspecies hybrids, often known as H. niger One of Pine Knot’s innovations, “Remembered,” has a significantly shallower root system that is very easy to dig. You should be able to see the new eyes if the soil is taken off, and you can divide the plant along these lines.
A. H. niger typically doesn’t produce a lot of seedlings, and sterile interspecies plants don’t produce any either, but Lenten roses have been known to produce hundreds of seedlings all around a single huge parent plant. The earliest you can relocate these after germination is almost immediately. We have discovered that it is considerably more crucial to avoid damaging the root than it is to wait until the real leaves have appeared before transplanting. The plants can be moved into the garden or potted up for sharing with friends.
Q. I’ve had my H. foetidus with me for a while now in Zone 5B, but they won’t stay put [above, romping through a bed far from where I first put them]. They have independent thought and a desire to develop. Is this their situation? Do other species resemble that?
A. We think of H. foetidus as a transient perennial resembling columbine or aquilegia. Although it is a real perennial, it won’t stay in its current location. After a few years, the original plant will wither, but like Charlotte’s Babies, mom will leave seedlings behind to finish the work.
Since H. foetidus has a shallow root system and prefers little to no water, putting it under evergreens is an excellent idea. To my knowledge, H. x sternii has this behavior in some locations, but it is the only other species.
Could you choose your top three favorites, if you had to? a certain species, color, variety, or form?
A. It’s kind of like picking my favorite child, huh? The hue of the Lenten roses changes on the day, but I really appreciate them. Picotee versions [like the one in the photo at the top of the page] and the Rhubarb and Custard form [above] are both consistently excellent. We named this cream and raspberry strain Rhubarb and Custard in honor of a British acquaintance who claimed it reminded her of her all-time favorite food.
My personal favorites among the hybrid plants I have created are a few. They exhibit the species’ small, graceful habits as well as the purple and green coloring. I really like H. niger, particularly the HGC ‘Josef Lemper’ clone from Germany, which blooms early, has long stems for cuttings, and has stunning pure white flowers like other H. niger.
Q. You mentioned “two or three other plants that [you] tend to fixate over” throughout our conversation. Who, what, and why are those?
A. Oh no, we’re now in trouble! We became obsessed with hellebores as we toured the U.K. and other regions of Europe (we’ve done over 20 winter travels so far), but we also discovered a long list of plants that are appealing in winter and the early spring that we could grow alongside our hellebores.
Epimedium, Trillium, Hepatica, any small spring bulbs, particularly Narcissus species, and Galanthus [above photo] would be my top three favorites if I had to pick just a handful. Appreciate transient plants. You snooze, you lose. This is how they work, therefore they must be welcomed when they occur.