Main Content
Written by Laura H., Somerset County Rutgers Master Gardener
After an interminably gray and frigid winter, the first peeks of spring’s colors elicit those giddy feelings of anticipation of warm weather and rebirth. Among the earliest of these vernal messengers are the hellebores, beautiful perennials that flaunt their colors in winter and early spring. Displays are yellow, purple, slate gray, white, green, cream, pink and red which reveal unique markings, such as speckles and mottling of petal-like sepals and picotee or contrasting margin color. The single or double blooms are 1-4” and cup shaped. Hellebores are evergreen, augmenting winter’s colors with their dark green, shiny foliage, some with lobes and often with saw-toothed margins. They grow in a thick, luxuriant, clumping style.
The genus Helleborus encompasses 22 species with many hybrids. There are two groups within the genus, based on the presence or absence of stems. Caulescent plants have blooms perched at the tips of stems, with both stem and basal foliage. They grow 12-24” tall and 24-30” wide. Caulescents live for just a few years but produce seeds prodigiously. The more widely grown, acaulescent hellebores have basal leaves and flower stalks but no stems. The average height for acaulescents is 9-12”. Their life span is typically 20 plus years. Helleborus orientalis and Helleborus x hybridus are commonly known as Lenten rose, and Helleborus niger is commonly called Christmas rose or winter rose, though they are members of the Ranunculaceae or buttercup family.
Native to Eurasia and Morocco, the hellebore name derives from the Greek terms “helien” meaning destroys or injures, and “bora,” or food. Hellebores are highly toxic to humans and animals. They contain alkaloids and are unpalatable to deer, rabbits and other animals. In addition, they produce chemicals that can cause cardiac issues and dermatitis. Use gloves when handling.
Hellebores thrive in USDA zones 5-8. They prefer the understory lifestyle and flourish under deciduous trees, where they receive full sun in winter and partial shade in summer. Soil should have even moisture and adequate drainage with ample organic matter and a pH of 7.0 – 8.0. Shorter varieties make a beautiful groundcover where turf struggles to grow.
Extreme winter weather can damage hellebores. A burlap wrap may be applied to protect against cold, drying winds. Prune flowering stems after blooms wither to promote the growth of foliage.
Hellebore pests include snails, slugs and aphids. Rhizome and root rot occur in poorly drained soils. Downy mildew causes light-colored splotches on foliage and can kill hellebores. Black death, which causes foliage chlorosis, black lines on leaf margins and veins and plant deformity, is a viral disease first noted in 2017 in South Carolina. There is no cure; if found, remove and destroy all infected plant matter.
Hellebores can be propagated via seeds or division. Seeds can be dispersed naturally, germinating the following winter/spring, or started in containers. Seed dispersal can be overabundant, requiring diligent thinning. Hellebores may take 2-3 years or more to flower. Caulescent hellebores can be started by seed only. Division is best done in late fall or early winter using a sharp knife and ensuring that there are several crowns per piece.
References:
University of Wisconsin – Madison Lenten Rose, Helleborus ×hybridus
NC State Helleborus
Clemson University Hellebore