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Helleborus x hybridus (Lenten rose)
2005 Perennial Plant of the Year
Light to moderate shade.
Hellebores have experienced a surge of interest over the last several years due, in the main, to the realization that they are much hardier and easier to grow than previously thought. Native to Eastern Europe and Asia these striking plants never fail to lend an air of the exotic to any garden. Their tropical appearance and often evergreen habit once condemned them to the gardens of collectors and connoisseurs but through the concerted efforts of several talented breeders these wonderful plants are entering the mainstream.
The two most commonly seen species are known as Christmas Rose (H. niger) and Lenten Rose (H. orientalis), due to the time of year in which they flower and the single rose-like appearance of their blooms. However Hellebores are not members of the family Roseaceae and can in fact be poisonous if ingested (like most Ranunculaceae) - so do not be tempted to indulge in any Christmas Rose Petal Tea! However this trait does have the advantage of making them quite resistant, if not immune, to the ravages of hungry deer and other garden pests.
Hellebores are happiest in a shaded location, preferably produced by deciduous trees. This ensures that they are in full sun when they are flowering but in a more sheltered position for the heat of the summer when they generally enter a period of dormancy. They must have rich but well drained soil, in fact once established they are more likely to succumb to the 'kindness' of overwatering than the 'neglect' of drought. Think of them as Sedum for the shade!
Their foliage is generally tough, leathery, dark green to bluish green with some cultivars having a silver/pewter cast to them. As well, there are several variegated selections available but they do tend to be a bit trickier to keep happy. The plants form nice showy clumps as they become established. Due to their evergreen tendencies and early blooming it is best to wait until after flowering to 'tidy up' any winter scruffiness. If planting or moving bare root, better success will be experienced in the early autumn while plugs or containerized plants can be transplanted at almost any time.
The flowers are of course what draws most people to these plants. The five (singles) showy sepals are quite tough and frost resistant - an adaptation to their early blooming, in addition they stay on the plant for an extended period of time providing a show long after pollination has taken place. The flowers are sometimes held protected amongst the foliage but hybridization is producing more adventurous and visible blooms in an extended range of colors and forms. Helleborus x hybridus is the generally accepted name for the more complicated of the breeding results, but they are still commonly known as Lenten Rose and are primarily H. orientalis. They even make spectacular cut flowers - best displayed by floating the blooms in a shallow bowl - the more the better!
Helleborus may have been used as protection against witches, madness and evil spirits, as well as for many medicinal purposes, but -- CAUTION: Leaves, stems and roots are poisonous, and may cause skin irritation.
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