Helleborus

( hel - leb - BOH - rus )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly called Hellebore or Lenten Rose, these flowering perennial plants require partial to full shade and have varying water needs (depending on the species cultivated). They bloom in winter and spring, and have thick, leathery foliage, commonly with serrated edges. Flower colors include green, red, pink, purple and yellow. They can be used as cut flowers, be massed under trees or planted in mixed beds and borders in shade gardens. Deer and rabbits do not typically bother them, so they are ideal ornamental additions to woodland gardens. All parts of these plants are poisonous if ingested, so take care when planting them in your yard if you have curious children or pets.

Helleborus Species and Varietals

The genus Helleborus includes 20 species and is a member of the plant family Ranunculaceae. The best growing zones for Hellebore vary depending on the species, though they can typically be grown in USDA hardiness zones 4-9. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Helleborus argutifolius (Corsican Hellebore, Holly-Leaved Hellebore)
This species grows well in USDA hardiness zones 6-9 or Sunset growing zones 3b-9 and 14-24 and is native to Corsica, Sardinia. It can be erect or sprawling and has blue-green leaves. Flowers are pale green to cream-colored. Needs moderate water. Varieties include 'Janet Stames' (compact, with white-marbled leaves that are blushed with pink when new), 'Pacific Frost' (pictured; compact with variegated foliage), and 'Silver Lace' (blue-grey leaves with netted silver pattern). This species is considered invasive in the southeastern United States.

Helleborus x ballardiae (Hellebore, Lenten Rose, Pink Frost Hellebore)
This hybrid grows well in USDA hardiness zones 5-9 or Sunset growing zones 3-7 and 14-24 and reaches 1.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Stems are red. This species needs regular water. Varietals include 'Cinnamon Snow' (pictured; with dark green leaves and white flowers with rose and rust tones) and 'Pink Frost' (grey-green leaves with silver veining with pale pink to rose blooms). This hybrid group is named for English gardener Hellen Ballard, who was given the title 'Queen of the Hellebores'. These plants are considered somewhat invasive in North Carolina and Virginia (United States).

Helleborus cyclophyllus (Greek Hellebore, Round-Leaved Hellebore, Round-Leaved Christmas Rose)
This perennial is native to Albania, Greece, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia and grows well in USDA hardiness zones 4-9. It produces yellow-green flowers atop leafless green stalks, and when in bloom reaches between 16 and 22 inches tall.

Helleborus x ericsmithii (Eric Smith Hellebore, Hybrid Lenten Rose)
These hybrids (mostly between Helleborus niger and Helleborus sternii) grow well in USDA hardiness zones 5-8 or Sunset growing zones 2-9, 14-24 and reach 1.5 feet tall and just as wide. Dark green leaves are veined with pale green. Flowers appear in large sprays and can be pink to white. These plants need regular waterings to perform well in the garden. Cultivars include 'Merlin' (with large pink flowers that fade to deep cranberry), 'Joker' (profuse flowers), 'Walhelivor' (ivory-white blooms), 'Pirouette' (white flowers fading to mauve), 'Silver Moon' (with silver-toned foliage), and 'Monte Cristo' (green-white blooms and dark green-grey foliage).

Helleborus foetidus (Bear's Foot Hellebore, Stinking Hellebore, Dungwort, Setterwort, Bear's Foot)
Native to western and central Europe, this species grows best in USDA hardiness zones 5-9 or Sunset growing zones 2b-9 and 14-24. Individua plants reach 2.5 feet tall and wide and have dark green leaves. Flowers are light green with red edges. Can tolerate sun in cool, humid climates and will self-sow freely. Needs moderate water. Varieties in the Wester Flisk Group have foliage infused with purple-red, and cultivar 'Red Silver' has red stems with a silver sheen with red-edged green flowers.

Helleborus x hybridus (Hybrid Hellebore, Hybrid Lenten Rose, Hybrid Winter Rose, Oriental Hellebore)
This species grows best in USDA hardiness zones 4-9 or Sunset growing zones 2b-10 and 14-24. They need moderate to regular water and have a variety of flower colors. This species is considered an emerging invasive in the southeastern United States. Popular cultivars are listed below:

'Amber Gem'

'Angel Glow'

'Black Diamond'

'California Dreaming'

'Cascade Blush'

'Confetti Cake'

'Cotton Candy'

'Dashing Groomsmen'

'Fluffy Ruffles Mix'

'Frost Kiss Anna's Red'

'Golden Lotus'

'Ice Follies'

'Ice n' Roses'

'Ivory Prince'

'Kingston Cardinal'

'Mango Magic'

'Midnight Ruffles'

'New York Night'

'Night Coaster'

'Penny's Pink'

'Peppermint Ruffles'

'Paris in Pink'

'Pink Fizz'

'Pink Frost'

'Rio Carnival'

'Romantic Getaway'

'Sandy Shores'

'Shotgun Wedding'

'Snowbells'

'Sunshine Ruffles'

'Sweetheart Ruffles'

'Vegas Nights'

'Winter Jewels Garden Lotus'

'Winter Jewels Painted Doubles'

Helleborus lividus (Majorcan Hellebore, Livid Lenten Rose)
Marjorcan Hellebore can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 7b-9 or Sunset growing zones 6-9 and 14-24. Native to Majorca, this species gets to 1.5 feet tall and twice as wide. Leaves are purple underneath, veined on top, and flowers are pale green blushed with pink. Needs moderate amounts of water for best performance in the landscape.

Helleborus niger (Christmas Rose, Black Hellebore, Easter Rose)
This plant grows best in USDA hardiness zones 3-8 or Sunset growing zones 1-7 and 14-17, and is native to Europe. Leaves are dark green and white flowers bloom in singles or in groups of two or three per stem. Flowers will blush pink with age. This species needs alkaline soil and regular waterings, and needs more shade than other species. Cultivars include 'Joseph Lemper' (with large flowers), 'Snowbells' (with early white flowers), 'Potter's Wheel' (with large, flat white flowers), and 'White Magic' (with profuse blooms).

Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose, Oriental Hellebore)
This species grows best in USDA hardiness zones 4-9 or Sunset growing zones 2b-10 and 14-24 and is native to Greece, Turkey and the Caucasus. Flower stems reach a foot tall and blooms come in white, pink, purple, cream, and green. This species is easy to transplant and varies widely in appearance. It will self sow and needs moderate to regular water. This species is considered potentially invasive in the southeastern United States.

Helleborus x sternii (Stern's Hybrid Lenten Rose, Blackthorn Hybrid Hellebore, Stern's Hellebore)
These hybrids grow well in USDA hardiness zones 6-9 or Sunset growing zones 4-9 and 14-24. Leaves are blue-green and blooms are green blushed with pink. Plants can reach a foot and a half tall and wide needs moderate water. Varieties include 'Boughton Beauty' (with silvery leaves that have pink stems) and those in the Blackthorn Group (with veined leaves and purple stems with purple flowers).

Helleborus thibetanus (Tibetan Hellebore)
This rare perennial species forms a rhizome and a basal clump of green leaves. Light pink flowers are papery and cup-shaped, blooming in springtime through the middle of summer. This species can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 6a-8b.

Helleborus viridis (Green Hellebore, Bastard Hellebore, Bear's Foot, Boar's Foot, Setterwort)
This species is native to central and western Europe and grows well in USDA hardiness zones 5-9. It produces green flowers which bloom in springtime (usually between February and April) and plants reach two feet tall at maturity. Foliage and flowers are apple-green.

Caring for Helleborus

All parts of these plants are poisonous if ingested, so take care when planting them in your yard if you have curious children or pets. The first rule for planting Hellebores is to choose their site wisely. Hellebores do not like to be transplanted, and will not react well to being moved once they have their root system established in the landscape. Plant Hellebores in a space in the garden that receives partial to full shade. These plants do not like to spend much time in direct sun, so filtered to heavy shade is best. They do well under deciduous trees where they can be shaded by foliage during the warmer months of the year, and are exposed to full sun in the fall and winter when trees are bare. These flowers grow best in soil that is well-draining, rich, and that has a pH of between 7.0 and 8.0. If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Install a thick (1-2 inch) layer of organic mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain soil temperatures, and increase soil moisture retention. Ensure that mulch stays a few inches away from stems and foliage to discourage fungal issues from developing.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with a application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. These plants are not heavy feeders, and this should be sufficient to provide the necessary nutrients for the active growing and flowering seasons. If plants seem to be struggling, a second application of compost can be added to the planting area in summertime. Prune off faded flower stems as they appear to neaten the appearance of the plant. Tattered, burned, or otherwise damaged foliage can be removed at any time. These plants can and most likely will self-seed freely, producing volunteer seedlings in the area around mature plants. These volunteers can be transplanted in springtime before they become too established. Hellebore plants are able to thrive in the landscape for upwards of between 10 and 30 years, and will form clumps over time, providing new plants indefinitely.

Propagation

Helleborus can be propagated either by division or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Hellebore flowers, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Helleborus by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
In either late winter or early springtime, get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Helleborus by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil, compost and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:

Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the root(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
Start to tease apart the roots with your fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section attached.
Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water thoroughly.
Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.

Hellebore seeds are found in the center of flowers once petals have faded.

Helleborus seeds are small, shiny and black or dark brown. They are typically shaped like miniature beans.

Problems and Pests

Certain species of Hellebore are considered invasive in some regions; see the species descriptions above for more information. Check with local authorities before planting. Hellebore plants can be susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases: