- Author: Annie Sicotte, UCCE Master Gardener
The Lenten rose has many attractive features: easy to cultivate, hardy, long-lived, and evergreen. Flowers emerge in the dead of winter and continue a showy display for several months. Flowers come in a variety of colors and styles. Blooms can make good cut flowers, and their seed heads add interest to dried floral arrangements. Hellebores, like other members of the Ranunculaceae family, have alkaloids in the leaves and seeds and can cause mild dermatitis in sensitive gardeners; be sure to wear gloves when working around hellebores. These same alkaloids make the leaves undesirable to deer, rabbits, moles, and voles. Hellebores are extremely frost-hardy and very tolerant of dry conditions once established. They are summer dormant, and they require little attention. What's NOT to like about this plant? It is certainly worth planting in our Northern California coastal gardens.
Lenten roses are an outstanding plant for adding color and texture to the ornamental shade garden. They grow in areas between deciduous shrubs and under trees or naturalize in woodland areas. They can be the stars of the early spring garden as specimen plants or mixed with other spring bulbs. Attractive in the summer, the coarse, leatherlike foliage makes a good backdrop to more delicate shade plants. They are also excellent for planting on a hillside above a path where the downward-facing flowers can be viewed from below.
Mature plants can form clumps that are 18” to 24” tall and 24” to 30” wide. The glossy, deep green foliage can vary in color and shape, even within the same hybrid. The leaves are divided into 7 to 9 segments with an umbrella-like shape held up on a woody stem. The toothed, leathery foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season, remaining evergreen in mild climates.
FLOWERS
Gardeners are most attracted to the hellebore for its early flowers, which can be seen starting in late December or early January/February and last for 2 to 3 months. Available in both single and double forms, it is available in a rainbow of muted colors, ranging from apple green and chartreuse to ivory, mauve, eggplant, and wine.
Flower buds form during the previous summer, and the flower spikes emerge from the underground rhizome in late winter. Mature plants often have 50 or more flowers per plant.
Flowers have five petal-like sepals (a modified calyx) surrounding a ring of small, yellowish-green, tubular nectaries in an open, bell shape. The nectaries are the petals modified to hold nectar. Inside the ring of petals, there are numerous stamens and several pistils. After the flower is pollinated, the petals and stamens fall off, but the sepals remain on the plant for 1-2 months or more (probably contributing to seed development).
Flowers are often followed by unusual seed pods that offer ornamental interest and can produce viable seeds if left on the plant. The carpels eventually dry and split to release the bean-shaped, shiny black seeds, each with a white elaiosome that becomes wrinkled with age. Seeds are self-planted when ripe and can slowly naturalize in the garden.
CULTURE and PROPAGATION
Hellebore does best in partial shade to full sun and well-drained, humus-rich, fertile garden soil. They are relatively drought tolerant once established but do best with consistent moisture. They are very sensitive to soggy soil, so the site must have good drainage. This plant requires little maintenance. The previous season's leaves will be dried and tattered after the winter and are best cut off at the ground as the flowers emerge in the spring. Sprinkle with a fresh layer of compost around the base of the plants before the flowers emerge. Fertilize in Spring. Apply slug and snail bait as the flower spikes emerge.
Commercial plants are propagated from seed, division, or tissue culture, but germination is slow. It can take four or five
CUT FLOWERS
A lot has been written about the fickle nature of Hellebores as a cut flower, but everyone agrees that they are worth the effort. The flowers make exquisite small winter bouquets. Different methods are used to increase the water uptake of the immature stem with some success. However, the more mature blooms will last the longest. Basic floral conditioning techniques work. Cut blooms in the morning using a diagonal cut. Plunge stems into cool water up to the flower head and keep in a cool dark place for 24 hours or until ready to arrange. Stems can also be cut at an angle and dipped into boiling water for several seconds to seal the stem, or the stem can be scored vertically with a knife to increase water uptake. Place stems into cool water.
Possibly the best advice comes from Erin Benzakein, the owner of Floret Farms, in her book Cut Flower Garden, “Getting Hellebores to last as cut flowers is simple but requires you to have some self-control: you must select blooms at the proper stage; otherwise, they'll wilt within a few hours of picking. …you must wait until the blooms develop seedpods in the center. The more developed the seedpods, the sturdier the cut hellebore will be and the longer it will last. A very mature hellebore bloom will hold up, unscathed, out of water for an entire day, lending itself to wearable creations such as boutonnieres, corsages, and flower crowns.”
Resources:
Say hello to hellebores, January 28, 2018
https://www.floretflowers.com/say-hello-hellebores/
University of California, UC Master Gardener Program of Sonoma County, Hellebores
https://sonomamg.ucanr.edu/Plant_of_the_Month/Hellebores/
Wisconsin Horticulture, Division of Extension, Lenten Rose, Helleborus x hybridus
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/lenten-rose-helleborus-xhybridus/
by Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa County
I love hellebores because they stay green all year, bloom in the winter and don't take a lot of water to keep them happy. Hellebores are called Lenten roses by some because they start to bloom around the time of Lent. But they are not roses.
The flowers have some resemblance to roses but the colorful petals surrounding the flower are not part of the flower. And the petals remain on the stem for several months even after the flower in the middle has faded.
Native to the Balkan states and parts of Europe and Asia and named hellebore in the 1700s, this genus has been hybridized since then to include many beautiful colors. My first hellebore, a green one, has produced offspring identical to the parent. However, since most hellebores for sale today are hybrids, any seedlings that emerge in your garden will probably not resemble the parent plant.
I have been collecting hellebores in various colors and especially like the pink and two-toned types. I grow them on the mound in my back garden as they seem to like slopes and look nice during the cold months when I can see them from the house.
Hellebores grow well in shady areas. Nurseries sell them in gallon cans so they are easy to transplant. When you do, be sure to remove some of the container soil and mix it with your garden soil. I also put a tablespoon or two of worm compost under the plant and then water well.
If you are an adventurous person, you might want to try planting hellebores from seed. You can find seed sources online. You will have a surprise when they bloom and you discover the bloom color. Seedlings do not bloom until the second year so you will need to be patient.
In winter and spring, when your hellebores start to bloom, feed them with a natural fertilizer such as aged chicken manure or worm compost. The latter has all the necessary trace elements in a mild form. The plants go dormant in summer, but you should continue to water them.
If you like the bloom color of one of your hellebores, you can reproduce the plant by division. Wait until it has finished blooming, then dig around the root ball and lift it out. Hellebores have fibrous roots that are easily divided. Take a rooted piece or two and replant where you want them, then return the rest of the clump to the original hole.
Another method for reproducing hellebores is called micropropagation. I doubt any of us will want to try it. It involves placing a piece of the plant in a sterile test tube and treating it with hormones to stimulate growth. When the plant is big enough, it is transferred to a pot.
I saw this method used on cymbidium orchids years ago at an orchid grower in San Francisco. It is also called meristem propagation. I enjoy propagation but I don't think I am ready to attempt this method quite yet.
I have noticed few pests on my hellebores over the years. Deer, mice and gophers leave them alone because they are toxic, and few other pests bother them. Some online sources mention aphids, but I have never seen any on mine. I practice integrated pest management, so perhaps other bugs are feasting on whatever might attack my hellebores.
Workshop: UC Master Gardeners of Napa County will conduct a demonstration workshop on “Harvesting Your Compost from a Backyard Pile or Worm Bin” on Wednesday, May 26, from 6 pm to 8 pm, via Zoom. Register to get the zoom link at: City of Napa Compost Workshops
Got Garden Questions? Contact our Help Desk. The team is working remotely so please submit your questions through our diagnosis form, sending any photos to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org or leave a detailed message at 707- 253-4143. A Master Gardener will get back to you by phone or email.
For more information visit http://napamg.ucanr.edu or find us on Facebook or Instagram, UC Master Gardeners of Napa County.
A beautiful way to add color to your garden in winter and early spring is to plant hellebores. These perennials grow low to the ground in clumps usually no more than one- and one-half feet high, with distinctive leathery, dark-green leaves. Their flowers, about two inches across, appear in clusters that either face upwards or droop downwards. Old-fashioned varieties flower in shades of white and green, but newer hybrids broaden the hellebore color spectrum to include shades of pink, purple, yellow, red, gray and black, in single or double forms, and there are even some spotted and striped varieties.
An added bonus is that hellebores are deer-resistant and do not freeze in cold winters.
Happy hellebores will self-sow if their flowers (which are actually sepals, rather than petals) are not cut off after the blooms have faded; seed pods will form, eventually (usually in July) dropping their seeds close by the mother plant, where new baby plants will develop. Because the new plants develop so close to the original plant, it is a good idea to thin the babies out or transplant them.
Right now, when you are raking up leaves and cleaning up your garden, is a good time to cut off last year's hellebore leaves (most hybrid hellebores are stemless). If there are no buds showing yet, you can simply grab the leaves by the handful and cut them off. If the plant has started to bud, just cut off last year's leaves. It is not absolutely necessary to do this, as new leaves will cover the old ones, and the old leaves will eventually turn brown and can be swept away by hand. If you are in doubt, it is safe to cut anything (stems or leaves) that has turned brown. Cutting them off does make yard raking easier, as once the leaves are gone you can rake right over the plant. This gives the garden a cleaner look now and also later, when the new leaves and buds appear and the plant blooms.
While some early-blooming hellebores are already in flower, most will bloom between late January and early April. Look for them at your favorite nursery.
UC Master Gardeners of Butte County are part of the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) system. To learn more about us and our upcoming events, and for help with gardening in our area, visit our website. If you have a gardening question or problem, email the Hotline at mgbutte@ucanr.edu (preferred) or call (530) 538-7201.
By Jeff Oster, UC Butte County Master Gardener, September 29, 2017
It's not uncommon for a garden to seem a bit bare from late fall through early spring, when very little is in bloom. Luckily, hardy cyclamen and hellebores can help fill this gap by providing color from flowers while adding interest from leaf shapes and patterns as well.
Hardy Cyclamen
Cyclamen hederifolium and Cyclamen coum are smalller, garden-adapted relatives of the florist's cyclamen (C. persicum). They are both native to Mediterranean regions, and are the easiest species of cyclamen to grow in the home garden. Both species are hardy to USDA Zone 5 and do best in well-drained soil rich in humus, and located in areas of dappled (not heavy) shade among trees and shrubs. They are moderately drought-tolerant, very long-lived, and thrive with very little care.
To grow cyclamen, plant tubers in early fall, about one inch deep, and six inches apart. Low mounds are their ideal habitat. The tubers do not multiply, but plants will self-sow, forming colonies. In summer the plants go dormant and need a little moisture to keep roots from dying back. Watering in late summer and early fall breaks dormancy and encourages new growth.
Foliage lasts until late spring and in a colony creates an almost evergreen ground cover. Leaf shapes vary from heart-shaped to spear-like. Leaves may be marbled green with a symmetrical darker green or silver fractal pattern. The tubers are long-lived, can grow to the size of a small dinner plate, and should produce a profusion of blooms.
Watch for pests: root weevil, aphids, slugs, snails, mice and squirrels can do occasional damage to cyclamen.
Hellebores
The most common hellebores (Lenten roses) are the Oriental hybrids (Helleborus x hybridus). They are long-blooming (starting in February), low-maintenance, evergreen perennials which originated in Mediterranean regions.
Helleborus niger is called the Christmas rose, and blooms earlier—late December or early January.
Hellebore colors range from white to purple, with many color patterns on the petals (which are actually bracts or calyxes). White flowers tend to turn green with age, while the purples hold their colors. Flowers may persist for 3 months.
Hellebores contain alkaloid toxins and have been used both as a poison and a purgative. They are pest-free and deer resistant.
For a long span of color from winter through spring, plant hellebores along with daffodils and hardy cyclamen.
For more information on cyclamen and hellebores, see:
Cyclamen Species for the Garden
Plant Hellebores for Winter and Spring Color
By David Walther, Butte County Master Gardener, December 27, 2013
A beautiful way to add color to your garden in winter and early spring is to plant hellebores. These perennials grow low to the ground in clumps usually no more than one- and one-half feet high, with distinctive leathery, dark-green leaves. Their flowers, about two inches across, appear in clusters that either face upwards or droop downwards. Old-fashioned varieties flower in shades of white and green, but newer hybrids broaden the hellebore color spectrum to include shades of pink, purple, yellow, red, gray and black, in single or double forms, and there are even some spotted and striped varieties.
Hellebores like high shade and thrive under deciduous trees in well-drained fertile soil. Good locations include the north or east sides of walls, and underneath high-branching trees. Like many flowering plants that do well in shady conditions, hellebores do need light in order to bloom profusely, so the more sun you can provide them in a shady location, the more flowers you will have. While a daily blast of afternoon sun in late summer and fall may scorch their leaves, they will still bloom beautifully in the spring.
An added bonus is that hellebores are deer-resistant and do not freeze in cold winters.
Happy hellebores will self-sow if their flowers (which are actually sepals, rather than petals) are not cut off after the blooms have faded; seed pods will form, eventually (usually in July) dropping their seeds close by the mother plant, where new baby plants will develop. Because the new plants develop so close to the original plant, it is a good idea to thin the babies out or transplant them.
Fertilize in September, when they are forming the buds for their winter & spring flowers.
Right now, when you are raking up leaves and cleaning up your garden, is a good time to cut off last year’s hellebore leaves (most hybrid hellebores are stemless). If there are no buds showing yet, you can simply grab the leaves by the handful and cut them off. If the plant has started to bud, just cut off last year’s leaves. It is not absolutely necessary to do this, as new leaves will cover the old ones, and the old leaves will eventually turn brown and can be swept away by hand. If you are in doubt, it is safe to cut anything (stems or leaves) that has turned brown. Cutting them off does make yard raking easier, as once the leaves are gone you can rake right over the plant. This gives the garden a cleaner look now and also later, when the new leaves and buds appear and the plant blooms.
If you want a hellebore that blooms a particular color, it is best to buy the plant while it is in flower, so you know you are getting exactly what you want. That plant will always bloom that particular color, but there is no guarantee that its seedlings will follow suit.
While some early-blooming hellebores are already in flower, most will bloom between late January and early April. Look for them at your favorite nursery.
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