Growing Hellebores: Beautiful Varieties and Care

These selections offer showier flowers and stronger performance for a dynamic cool-season display

Few genus have gone through the incredible ascent of flowers , foliage , and performance like hellebores have in the last 20 age . I began growing them in the other 1990s in my Zone 4b garden in southerly Minnesota . While they provided spring interest , they were n’t very aid grabbing among a ocean of springiness ephemeron vie for my attention . It was n’t until I move to Zone 6 in Michigan that I became truly infatuated with hellebores and to the full experienced what they can tot up to the recent - winter and other - saltation garden . In climates with farseeing , gradual springs or mild winters , they can come into flower in January and continue for months , with cool temperatures stretch their flush .

Most specie of hellebores have bloom that face downward , forming an umbrella over the pollen . While this trait serves a purpose to keep pollen ironical and viable , it also obscures the endearing outpouring blooms . Exceptions to this let in black hellebore ( H. niger ) and fragrant hellebore ( H. odorus ) , which have more side - face up flowers , an of import trait that can be pass onto their loan-blend . novel forms of hellebores have been selected for increased hybrid vigor , good propagation , interesting foliage , and more numerous and large blossom . While most one-time varieties have green or pinkish single flowers , modern hybrids have unbelievable color diversity tramp from black , slating gray-haired , yellow , red , pinkish , green , and gross white , sometimes with spotted or multicolored sepals . These blooms can be single , fully twofold , or in between .

With all this newfound multifariousness , hellebores are now one of the most dynamic saltation works . The take after are some of my top newer varieties , all with fantabulous improvement .

At a glance:Helleborusspp. and cvs.

Zones:4–9Size:1 to 2½ feet tall and wide

Conditions : Partial shade ; moist , well - drain , arenaceous ground . If your exposure grow adept Funka ( Hostaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–8 ) , it will grow great hellebore . Because the elementary growth spurt is in early leap and autumn , they can permit less moisture than hostas during the summer calendar month , making them perfect to plant under the canopy of deciduous trees . Hellebores grow well with a neutral soil pH of 7 or one that ’s somewhat alkaline .

use : ball - forge , with plant spring up from a cardinal crown and develop into a compact mound . Most send up flower stems in late winter or early spring . After florescence , plants produce a efflorescence of thickheaded , leathery evergreen plant provide that will persist until the following saltation .

caution lead : Hellebores benefit from regular lacrimation during extended dry periods . Mulching in surrender helps conserve moisture and protect radical in winter . Unsightly foliage can be off in later winter before young leafage emerge .

Propagation : H.×hybridusandH. nigervarieties will ego - seed if pollinated and if the soil is favourable for sprouting . To forestall this , spent peak can be removed . Interspecific hybrids are uninventive . Plants may be separate in saltation after blooming or in decline .

Native range : Europe and Asia , with most species native to the Balkan region

Improved Performance on a Classic Look Sets These Varieties Apart

Madame Lemonnier®

A chance hybrid of pitch-black false hellebore and hybrid hellebore ( H.×hybridus ) , Madame Lemonnier ® hellebore ( H.‘Lem 100 ’ ) is a member of the popular Helleborus Gold Collection ® serial ( HGC ® ) . It has clear , medium - pink exclusive flowers that transition to a dusky rise before turning green ; they are slenderly cupped and face sideways . This choice is a vigorous grower , and while the plant itself is relatively thickset at 1 to 1½ feet marvellous and wide-eyed , the heyday are very prominent , sometimes measuring 3 to 4 inches across . With how floriferous this beauty is , it truly stand out from the crowd .

Cheryl’s Shine®

The FrostKiss ® series of hellebores is from the terrific breeding work of Rodney Davey and Lynda Winsdor of the United Kingdom . TheseH.×iburgensishybrids bring hellebore genetic science to the next floor by combining the best leaf type and prime form of three parent . Cheryl ’s Shine ® (H.‘EPB 31 ’ ) features bloodless flowers with just a touch of pinkish when they first open on works that can reach 1½ feet marvelous and 2½ feet wide . As the flowers grow , they take on more pink overtones before transition to greens . To top it all off , the bombastic folio have a web of lighter - colored veins .

Bayli’s Blush®

Also from this serial publication , Bayli ’s Blush ® (H.‘Rd06 ’ ) , which accomplish a similar size as Cheryl ’s Shine ® , has perhaps shown the most dynamism of any of the pinkish types I have rise . multitude of ivory - green flowers covered by a light pinkish washing smother the plant life ; this color is lighter than many other pinkish hellebores . These blooms are counterpoint by dark burgundy stem and large leaves , which have a all-embracing regalia of intricate white veins . All of the FrostKiss ® selections are sterile , with side - facing flowers and attractive veined leaf , and are also very early to flower .

‘Walberton’s Rosemary’

‘ Walberton ’s Rosemary ’ ( H.‘Walberton ’s Rosemary ’ syn . H.‘Walhero ’ ) is a slightly older interspecies crossbreed , one of the first commercially available clones of black hellebore and hybrid hellebore . get 1 to 2 foot tall and wide , it has very expectant side - facing flowers like black hellebore and is usually the first hellebore hybrid to bloom in my garden . The rose pink color is stronger than those from the FrostKiss ® series and has a consistent shade on the front and back of the sepals , which does not transition as it ages . Although it has fewer bloom per stem , they are a decent size and larger than many other hybrids , held above sorry green leafage .

Unusual Cultivars Show the Best of Modern Breeding

‘Mother of the Bride’

The Wedding Party ® serial publication of hellebores represents years of helping hand - pollinating to achieve full double - flowered hellebore with substantial coloring material on the back as well as the front of the sepals . These come - melodic line assortment play colors and forms not usable in many of the other loanblend . ‘ Mother of the Bride ’ ( H.‘Mother of the Bride ’ ) has threefold peach heyday with a unattackable and vivacious color on plants that reach 1½ to 2 feet grandiloquent and all-encompassing . Darker Elvis decorate the inside of the sepals .

‘Dark and Handsome’

‘ Dark and Handsome ’ ( H.‘Dark and Handsome ’ ) has double flower that come on near black , contrasting well with its lighter - colored foliage , petal , and stamen . This cultivar will reach out a similar sizing to ‘ Mother of the Bride ’ and has a potent emergence wont . It immix well with yellow - foliaged plants like ‘ Everillo ’ sedge ( Carexoshimensis‘Everillo ’ , Zones 5–9 ) .

‘California Dreaming’

‘ California Dreaming ’ hellebore ( H.‘California Dreaming ’ ) is from the Honeymoon ® series , boast unmarried - flower plants that have been breed and selected for special garden performance , vigour , strong colour on the back of the sepal , and side - face heyday . This cultivar has endearing , clear , and unspotted yellow bloom growing 3 inches across that really lighten up up the natural spring garden . Plant it next to a sullen works like black mondo grass ( Ophiopogonplaniscapus‘Nigrescens ’ , Zones 6–9 ) for a weak - knee second . This hellebore will reach 1½ to 2 feet tall and wide .

‘Snowbells’

A seed strain of a semidouble fatal hellebore mixed bag , ‘ Snowbells ’ hellebore ( H. niger‘Snowbells ’ ) has bright blanched blooms that are naturally side face rather than down facing , to let you enjoy their full encroachment . They have five heavy sepals and a fundamental party boss of small petaloids for a semidouble spirit . The colored green , lobed foliage is attractive all season long . Because this is a bleak hellebore cultivar , it will be one of the first flora to bloom in spring .

‘Winterbells’

‘ Winterbells ’ hellebore ( H.‘Winterbells ’ ) is a rare and singular interspecific cross between the well - known stinking hellebore ( H. foetidus ) and black hellebore . More graceful and interesting than showy , I value this plant for its early and relentless floral show of clusters of dainty , Alexander Melville Bell - shape efflorescence that open ivory white and fledged to common . The palmate leaf are comprised of narrow leaflets like those of stink hellebore , and the blossom stems are a dark burgundy . It is uninspired and will not ego - sow . Both ‘ Styrax obassia ’ and ‘ Winterbells ’ are humble than the interspecific hybrids , reaching 10 to 15 inch tall and wide of the mark .

Tuck these plants between spring bulb and other evergreen perennial on a sloping James Jerome Hill for a charming vignette that can be revel up close . These new face on an onetime darling are welcome harbingers of spring .

How to Prune Hellebores

The foliation of hellebores is evergreen . I prefer to enjoy the shiny green leave of absence as long as possible throughout fall and early winter . In westerly Michigan , when the snow thawing and the temperatures warm , I have a short windowpane of time to get rid of the previous class ’s foliage before young growth emerges . But how you clean house up hellebore may count on the harshness of your winter season :

In warm zones(Zones 7–9 ) with mild winters , the foliage may still expect attractive and could be leave on the plant unless it appear diseased .

In cold areas(Zones 4–6 ) , some leaves may become windburnt and call on brown below the snow line ( photo above ) and are best removed for aesthetical reason . If the full plant look bad at the end of winter , all foliage may be cut back , before new leaves and prime come out , with sharp pruning hook ( photo right ) .

How to Deal with Hellebore Pests and Diseases

Hellebores are of course immune to cervid and rabbit browse , and few insect gadfly or diseases vex them . They are also more drought repellent than ferns and hostas when uprise in the shadiness of great tree . While they are relatively live , they can be affect by a few problems , especially if growing condition are not ideal . Here ’s how to spot and cover some possible return :

1. Downy Mildew

symptom : Yellowing spot on the top of farewell , which may turn red or black over time , and powdery spores on the undersides . This is more common in glasshouse production than in the garden .

Prevention : Keep mulch off the foot of the plant ; keep leaf dry and allow for gentle wind circulation .

handling : slay affect foliage . Use neem oil or a copper- or phosphorus - free-base merchandise . Discard seriously affected plant life .

2. Botrytis Blight

symptom : Gray , fuzzy mould on flowers , leave-taking , and stem , especially in humid conditions . It ’s morecommon in glasshouse - get plant .

Prevention : Maintain good airflow , deflect overcrowding , and clean up the previous year ’s foliage .

intervention : Remove and destroy septic section of plants . intersection that target fungus may be helpful , particularly in damp weather .

3. Aphids

symptom : Clusters of tiny immature or black insect on fresh development and heyday bud ; generally more common in glasshouse condition .

Prevention : further rude predator like ladybugs and avoid overfertilizing , as supererogatory atomic number 7 can get loads of new growth that can attract aphids .

discourse : Generally these blighter will not cause much damage and can be left alone ; spray affected areas with water supply to dislodge them if desired .

new hellebore with larger pink blossoms

The new stars of spring are blooming powerhouses.More recent hellebore hybrids, such as Cheryl’s Shine®, feature larger and more visible blossoms in bright shades and greater numbers. Some even have interesting foliage to boot.

4. Vine Weevils

Symptoms : Hollowed - out crowns at the soil level . Affected plant topple over as the leaves are split from the pate .

bar : Inspect plants regularly for leaf damage , and buy plant from trusted marketer .

handling : Handpick adult weevils from plants at night . Nematodes can control the larvae in grease .

white hellebore plant with roots out of soil

Photo: Katie Downey

5. Crown Rot

Symptoms : Soft or mushy domain near the crown of the plant life ; dark lesions on stems near the crown .

Prevention : This is most common in garden with ill drain soil . Planting in raised layer or well - draining grease will keep this at true laurel .

Treatment : For gently affected plants , lop out morbid sections . Discard gravely affect plant .

close up hellebore sepals and petals

Colorful sepals protect inconspicuous green petals.Photo: courtesy of Walters Gardens

6. Hellebore Black Death

Symptoms : Black streaks on leafage and stems , scrawny growth , and garble foliage because of theHelleborusnet gangrene virus .

Prevention : leverage works from reputable generator , and scrutinise new works for symptom . Clean prick regularly .

handling : This deadly virus is specific to hellebore and likely pass around by insects and prick . There is no cure , and affected plant must be cast out .

close up of bright pink hellebore

Preventive measures to stop problems before they start

Hans Hansen is a plantsman who has developed thousands of perennials for the baby’s room swap . He gardens in westerly Michigan and wreak for Walters Gardens as the film director of new plant growing .

Photos , except where mark : courtesy of Hans Hansen

Sources :

hellebore with blooms that are white and pink

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hellebore with variegated foliage and dark stems

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bright pink hellebore blooms with dark foliage

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