Hellebore Galore

WRITER Jayla Breanne Parker

During the cold months, your garden may be lacking those eye-catching summer blooms like geraniums and black-eyed Susans. The crisp and colorful leaves of autumn have fallen, leaving much to be desired of the landscape. However, there are still some beautiful blooms to behold during winter.

Meet hellebore: a plucky and resilient evergreen perennial that steals the show as temperatures drop. Hellebore belongs to the Buttercup family, which also includes delphiniums and anemones. They bloom around December or January and carry on well into spring, adding winter beauty to both your garden and the forest floors they’re found on in the wild.

There are an abundance of different varieties of hellebores bred from wild Lenten Roses. Hellebores bear the name Lenten Roses because they bloom around Lent. Lenten Roses have a rich history. Even its name carries some aged wisdom. The name ‘Hellebore’ has been said to translate from Greek to “kill food,” which refers to its toxic and medicinal properties. In Greek mythology, Hellebores were thought to be a cure for madness, a potent diuretic and was thought to be the culprit behind the First Sacred War in 585 BC, resulting in the residents of Kirrha being rendered defenseless against attack. In the 1500s, Lenten Roses were well sought out in remedying issues of the mind and gut. North American native breeds of hellebores were sparse, and foreign breeds were likely introduced as more people arrived from Europe. In the 1700s, a well known botanist

named John Bartram noted in his writings the powdered flower could be used to treat worms and protect plants from pests. Many botanists followed suit, researching, harvesting and breeding hellebores to produce certain varieties. By the middle of the 19th century, hellebores became popular for medicinal and ornamental use for the general public. Today, Lenten Roses are well enjoyed by those who view and grow them.

Growing and establishing Hellebores is not for the faint of heart, but it can be done successfully with patience and consistency. Lenten Roses do best in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9. They are acaulescent in nature, which means they do not appear to have a stem or have very little stem leading to the flower. Other examples of acaulescent plants are bromeliads, succulents and onions. Hellebores can be grown in multiple ways: by seed, by micropropagation and by division. A good time to harvest seeds from an existing hellebore is right after they’ve finished flowering in the spring. Seeds should be sown in the ground as soon as they are black. Dividing hellebores can be challenging but worthwhile. Water your area well and pull the whole plant up, making sure the roots stay intact. You can very carefully divide the individual growth buds of the plant with a sharp, clean tool. It's best to do this process with at least three buds so the plant will bounce back quickly. Micropropagation is how most labs produce new varieties of hellebores. They take a viable sample from a parent plant and place it in a test tube to establish. The hellebore samples are then given growth hormones to aid in their progression. As time goes on, they will continue to grow to the seedling stage in a soilless medium, after which they will be able to be planted. If you produce hellebores by way of micropropagation or division, be sure to supplement the soil with nutrients or buy a nutrient rich soil so your seedlings grow big and strong. To save you the trouble of growing hellebores from scratch, Mitchell’s Nursery & Greenhouse also has hellebores for sale in pots which are ready to plant and are blooming brightly: many different and interesting Lenten Rose varieties, including HGC Marlon, Frostkiss Molly’s White, Frostkiss Anna’s Red, Winter Jewels Painted, Winter Jewels Red Sapphire and Ivory Prince.

Once they are established, it is very easy to maintain your hellebore plant. They are evergreen perennials, meaning they will come back year after year and stay green throughout the colder months. They can last for about 10 years if well taken care of. They should be given about an inch of water per week when rain is absent, which averages to around 3/4th of a gallon. Try to water your hellebores slowly so that the water thoroughly saturates the soil. Lenten Roses are not only pretty to look at, they are useful for protecting your garden! They serve to ward away deer and other animals. You should also be careful not plant Lenten Roses where children or pets can access them, as all parts of the hellebore plant are toxic. Hellebores will self-sow, meaning they will spread. Planting different types of hellebores close together will result in new varieties. They’re excellent for adding low-maintenance beauty to your cold-season garden.

Hellebores, revered throughout the ages as a useful medicinal supplement and a beautiful winter wonder, are some of the most interesting to watch emerge year after year. With their unique shades and styles, they’re the perfect perennial to admire throughout the coldest time of the year, promising that spring’s warmth is on the horizon.

To Learn more visit mitchellsnursery.com, call 3369834107 or visit the nursery at 1088 West Dalton Road, King.

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