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 survive in 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.
Do hellebores prefer shady areas?
As perennials with a preference for the borders of woodlands, hellebores thrive in dappled shade, while some varieties will also grow in full sun and others in deeper shade. Many have striking evergreen leaves, some with silvery or marbling for aesthetic appeal. When little else is at its best, these hardy perennials bloom in the winter and the first few weeks of spring.
The Oriental hybrids (Helleborus x hybridus), of which there are hundreds to choose from and which have blossoms in colours of cream, pink, or ruby and are sometimes speckled for extra appeal, are the most well-liked and straightforward hellebores.
The Corsican holly-leaved hellebore (H. argutifolius) and our native stinking hellebore (H. foetidus) are two examples of hellebores that grow in bigger clumps and are capped with clusters of little green flowers.
Many other hellebores require more specialized care because they don’t tolerate cold, wet soil or strong frosts, so it’s better to shelter them in a greenhouse during the winter.
Easy-to-grow hellebores
Oriental hybrids, or helleborushybridus, are hardy, long-lived plants with nodding flowers that come in delicate colors of white, pink, crimson, or deep, darkish plum. While some have double flowers with numerous petals, some have open saucer-shaped flowers that are great for pollinators. They feature year-round, dark evergreen foliage.
Oriental hybrids are best purchased when in bloom so you can pick your favorite colors because they are frequently sold as “selections” or “series,” which means their blossom colors may vary. Visit RHS Find a Plant to view images and descriptions of numerous Oriental hybrids.
Other straightforward hellebores with lovely leaves and flowers are:
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.
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.
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: