“Ooh, would you look at that!”
“This one’s my favorite. No, no; this one is.”
“Whoa, I’ve never seen one like this before!”
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No doubt declarations of love and admiration, like these, are being exclaimed in gardens all over town. If you’ve found yourself caught up in hellebore mania, join the Helleborus fanaticus club. And if you’re a newbie, you’d better tread these waters carefully. Before you know it, you’ll be in a 12-step program, battling a plant addiction with the tightest of grips.
Why all the fuss? Hellebores, hardy from zones 4-9, are easy-to-grow, tough, deer resistant, and form mounds of lovely foliage that lasts through winter. These attributes, alone, make them garden worthy. But the flowers. Oh, the flowers! They’re not smack-you-in-the-face beautiful. They’re the unassuming, bashful type. They whisper.
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Depending on the species, hellebores, often called Lenten rose or Christmas rose, send up their blooms from December through March in our zone (now 8a), when little else is blooming. They’re found in hues of plums, reds, whites, yellows, pinks and even black! (Ok, dark purple, really.) Many adorn themselves with colorful speckles on their centers or edges, and if allowed to hybridize, change patterns with each new generation of seedlings. Most hang like bells, while others proudly present their faces upward. There’s cup-shaped, flat-faced and double flower types too. And because their “petals” are actually colorful sepals, they last up to three months in the garden!
Hellebore tips
Hellebores prefer a shady spot, with their feet planted in organically rich, well-draining soil. They do prefer ample water during spring and fall, but I find rain water to be plenty. Although regarded as evergreen, old foliage will begin to flatten and appear ratty, come winter. Therefore, just before the flowers emerge, most gardeners choose to remove these old leaves for a cleaner flower show.
When selecting a species or hybrid for your garden, be aware that if grown from seed, it’s likely to differ from its parent. If possible, make your selections while the plant is in bloom or purchase from a reputable source who propagates via tissue culture to obtain flowers that are true-to-type. However, once in your garden, they’re sure to mingle with their neighbors, producing offspring with varying genes, resulting in a dizzying array of delightful combinations. In fact, there’s enough sex going on in a garden of hellebores to make even Hugh Hefner blush! So, if you’re a purist, place your differing plants at least 25 feet away from one another and remove their seedlings once they sprout.
While hellebores are notorious for preforming horribly as cut flowers, I followed up on a tip and conducted my own (hardly) official experiment that has proven to be a game changer. I found that conditioning a hellebore stem in the same manner in which we condition hydrangea blooms for arrangements, works wonderfully. Once you remove the flower stem from the plant, submerge the cut end into an inch of boiling water for about a minute. This forces the air out of the stem. After removing the stems from the boiling water, make a new cut and plunge into a jar or vase filled with regular water. If arranging in floral foam, allow stem to drink for twenty four hours before arranging. Or, simply snip the flower heads and float them in a bowl of water, face up.
Where to find
Besides your favorite nursery or fellow gardener, the best place to find a diverse array of hellebores is during Hellebore Days at Piccadilly Farms in Bishop. Held on March 2nd and 3rd from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., this highly regarded hellebore fest offers collectors and novices alike, a chance to, not only connect with one another, but view thousands of different hellebores, all in bloom. And they’re for sale, to boot! So, fold down that back seat--better yet, bring your truck. Hellebore Days are a comin’!
