Monroe County Master Gardener Association

Our feature flower for January 2013 is Hellebores (the Genus Helleborus). This plant is sometimes referred to as “Christmas Rose” or “Lenten Rose” since they begin to show blooms in late winter and early spring. Their blooming season is generally between December and March and often continues through April and May. Its large leaves may stay green thru the winter and add some interest to the garden. I understand that there are both evergreen and herbaceous varieties. The feature photo is from my backyard. This particular Hellebore is a single black variety. Sorry I don’t have the name since I usually purchase at the end of the season to be a bit more frugal. Name tags aren’t always on the plants. However, in spring you will find them available in a variety of colors both single and double blooms. It has been my experience that some tender loving care and frequent watering is best until they become established. Once established they are quite drought tolerant. They are often sold in the nurseries as a shade plant but do very well in light sun or dappled sun. This plant was put into the soil two years ago. It produced a few the first year, however this past year there were dozens of blooms on it. It was planted near my pond that gets at least six hours of early sun. Possibly the mild winter helped as well. Propagation may be done by seed; but that may take up to several months for the seedling to appear. It also does not guarantee that your seedling will be similar to the parent plant. It’s easier to propagate through a cutting or division. However you obtain them, you will find Hellebores to be a great addition to your garden.