The greatest moment to divide a hellebore is when it is being transplanted. Moving these plants can be difficult, so it’s recommended to only do so when absolutely necessary. Dig up the entire plant, remove the soil, and then cut the root mass into two or three portions using a clean, sterile knife.
The next step is to plant each little transplant in a spot that is somewhat shaded, on well-worked soil, and rich in organic matter. Water the plant more frequently as it adjusts. In comparison to seed propagation, flowers should appear the following season once each part has been corrected and restored to full health.
When ought hellebores to be relocated?
Each year, cover the soil surrounding plants with a thick layer of mulch and top it off as needed (for more information, see our guide to mulching).
An organic mulch, like homemade compost, is a fantastic way to enrich your soil with nutrients and beneficial microorganisms. Additionally, it conserves moisture and prevents weed germination.
Overwintering
Most of the commonly seen hellebores are resilient and don’t require further protection, notably the Oriental hybrids (Helleborushybridus).
H. niger dislikes sitting in cold, damp soil, therefore it need great drainage over the winter. Therefore, it is preferable to plant it in a container and maintain it in a protected area all winter (such as at the base of a south- or west-facing house wall)
H. thibetanus, a species that dislikes the wintertime rain, or H. lividus, a species that is only moderately hardy, do best when overwintered in a cool greenhouse, porch, or coldframe.
Caring for older plants
Helleborushybridus are often long-lived plants when planted in the right environment. Divide huge, aged clumps in the fall or spring to revitalize them.
Some other hellebores have a lifespan of five years or less. In late April, prune old flowers and leaves to promote fresh growth.
Oriental hybrids
To guarantee that the nodding flowers are fully shown, trim back the old leaves of Helleborus x hybridus in late winter or early spring. Additionally, this aids in reducing Hellebore leaf spot illness
These hellebores frequently self-seed, and the progeny can develop and cover the parent plant. To prevent unwanted seedlings, dig up and relocate seedlings before they grow too big or destroy seed pods before they open by cutting stems at the base.
Other hellebores
Remove the old flower stems and wilted leaves in late April after the flowers have faded to encourage new growth from the roots. If you want plants to self-seed, leave some seedpods.
By division
Most hellebores can be easily propagated by digging up the clumps and splitting them (for more information, see our guide on dividing perennials). Though you may also apply it in spring, immediately following flowering, early autumn is the best time to accomplish this.
Place the smaller clumps you have created so the first roots are 2.5 cm (1 in) below the soil’s surface when you replant them. For the initial growth season, water often until the plant is well-established.
Helleborus argutifolius, H. foetidus, H. lividus, and H. sternii can all be grown from seed but are not recommended for division.
Are you able to divide and hoist hellebore?
I inherited a yard with a sizable collection of hellebores ten years ago; they ranged from milky white to yellow, pink with flecks, to the deepest burgundy. They flourish in this soggy Welsh garden, which receives plenty of summer light but a lot of winter gloom.
Hellebores put on a fantastic display in the late winter and early spring, but their enormous, spreading leaves do make them a big space-eater in the summer. It is advisable to perform a hellebore “audit” to make sure they are making a profit for this reason.
How to handle hellebores
The greatest season for a hellebore audit is spring, when the blooms are in full bloom. Think about where you have your hellebores planted. Additionally, consider whether the color is appropriate. Perhaps the borders are gradually becoming a neutral pink color. The plant Helleborus orientalis is promiscuous. It produces a large number of hybrid seedlings since it produces large amounts of seed and doesn’t care who it crosses with.
The prized double dark beauty I had spotted in Tyntesfield a few years ago has finally taken up residence outside my basement window, where I can enjoy the multi-petalled silk blossoms while doing the dishes. There are numerous seedlings all around it that could potentially crowd out the mother plant. It’s tough to tell if these are kids with the dark double gene or if they are yet another mid pink hybrid from a cross with a controlling neighbor.
The solution won’t be known for several years because the children won’t blossom until they are considerably older. So now is the time to pay for them, pot them up, and give them to your neighbors who are willing to take a chance.
How to divide hellebores
There are alternative, more expedient ways to add more hellebores to your collection while still knowing exactly what you are getting. If you are careful, this family does split fairly well. Just after flowering is an excellent time to do this, while you can still clearly recall what color they are!
I always remove the leaves from mine in the dead of winter to highlight the blossoms when they appear and reduce the possibility of the dreaded black spot. You must be careful not to injure them when you raise and split them in April since they are just starting to put out new leaves.
Hellebores are best separated with two hand forks inserted into their crowns because they have a lot of thick, fibrous roots. Make sure each part is sprouting some fresh leaves. Depending on the size of the clump you dig up, you could be able to double, treble, or even quadruple your supply.
I favor getting these divisions back into the border immediately where you see a hole that has to be filled in rather than patching them up. Place them where you can admire the flowers—perhaps on a bank, by some steps, or outside that basement window—a true sign of spring as we stay indoors during the bitterly cold winter.
In the spring, can hellebores be moved?
After flowering, adult hellebores go to seed, and the next spring, new seedlings sprout close to the parent plant. These seedlings can be moved in the spring, either into pots or to expand your garden. When they are large enough to handle and before the parent plant’s new foliage covers the sun, transplant them. With a little trowel, remove the seedlings being cautious not to damage the root ball. Replant them in dappled shade and moist soil.
Choose pots with drainage holes and a minimum diameter of 8 inches to place the seedlings in. Fill the pots with potting soil.
Penny’s Pink Hellebore
Whatever name you give them—hellebores, Lenten rose, winter rose—these plants are amazing! The genus name Helleborus is where the name “hellebore” originates. The majority of accessible hellebores are either hybrids (Helleborus x hybridus) or Helleborus orientalis.
There are not many perennials that are evergreen, flower, and grow in shade to part sun. And the only resilient winter bloomer in our region may be hellebore! Leathery leaves are always there; pick up damaged leaves as you see them or when you clean up after each season. Hellebore leaves are very resistant to deer and rabbit damage.
This perennial does the slumber, creep, then leap thing. The plant focuses on root development in the first few years, then the clump will get a little bigger, and if they are planted in a favorable spot and have had the correct care, they take off. We frequently speak with clients who planted them and then kind of ignored them. A few years later, these nearly forgotten plants emerge as the highlight of their shade gardens!
Hellebore Blooms
Older hellebore species feature nodding, downward-facing blossoms. The production of larger, upward-facing blooms has been the breeding goal. Additionally, new colors are being introduced; throughout this piece, we have included pictures of some of the hues that we currently have in stock as of March 2022. The sepals of the bloom are what we typically mistake for flowers; the actual flowers are barely noticeable.
Flowers typically come in the colors white, rose, purple, and green. While some types have double flowers, others have bicolor or streaked flowers. The diameter of a hellebore flower can reach two inches! Plant size, bloom color, and other characteristics vary according on the type.
Our perennial grower, Jen Mistretta, also offered an intriguing fact about the double blossoms. You may have noticed that double flowers typically have downward facing petals. Since water sheds well off of downward-facing blossoms, this growth pattern naturally shields the blooms from rain.
Where to Plant Hellebores
They prefer well-drained soil, just like many of our landscape plants; if the roots remain excessively wet, problems will develop.
We need cover from the sweltering midday sun here in central Arkansas. Plant in places with partial shade that receive morning or afternoon sun. Even though the plants thrive in shaded areas, if the shade is too heavy, their flowers may suffer.
How to Plant Hellebores
We advise enriching your soil before planting landscape plants because the soils in our region frequently contain clay and are deficient in organic matter. A decent ratio to keep in mind is a soil amendment of 30% to 70% native soil. Utilize our Good Earth brand Jump Start when planting to aid in the establishment of roots.
Before planting, make a note of where the plant crowns are located in the pot. The area at or just above the surrounding soil level is known as the crown, which is where the stems touch the soil. Plant deterioration or even plant death might result from planting hellebores too deeply. This is also valid for the shade perennials heuchera and tiarella, as well as their close cousins.
Digging a hole twice as wide and as deep as the root ball of the plant you are about to plant is a decent general rule of thumb. However, because hellebores are deep-rooted plants, you might want to dig farther than the pot and improve the soil there. This can be a bit problematic since, as we indicated above, it’s important to keep hellebore crowns above soil level. This is because the modified soil will settle a little. To ensure that crowns remain at least an inch above surrounding soil level, you may need to fiddle with the soil level if you decide to dig down and amend the soil at the bottom of the planting hole.
Feeding and Caring for Hellebores
Hellebores don’t need a lot of fertilizing; springtime applications of compost and a slow-release natural fertilizer ought to be adequate. When used as a top dressing of organic fertilizer, the Jump Start we indicated above performs admirably. Any fertilizer you use should be kept away from the plant’s crown because even light fertilizers might harm the crowns.
Applying too much mulch around crowns can prevent it from remaining above the surrounding soil and mulch, which is necessary. just a little mulching around hellebores.
Scale, a damaging insect pest, can infest hellebores. Scale are frequently found on the underside of leaves, making them simple to miss. Several times a year, check on your plants, and treat as necessary.
Although division is rarely necessary, it is possible to divide them in the fall if necessary. Ascertain that each division has three or more growth buds. The optimal time to transplant is also in the fall.