I have a love-hate relationship with hellebores - love their cheerful, early flowers and interesting leaves; hate the way they self-seed endlessly, taking over bits of garden from other, less vigorous plants. It's no doubt my own fault, because when I see seedlings I always think that before uprooting them I should wait to see what the blooms will be like...

DebbieC said:
By the way, do you know the name of your pretty pinkish one?

@DebbieC The pink one is Peppermint Ice.

Some of mine set seed, and others don't seem to make seed, or very little seed. I've been gently taking up the seedlings and putting them in a raised bed by my small woodland. That way I can see if there will be anything interesting.

Good idea, Lynn - I'll give that a try this year

@BetNC Are yours planted in full shade, or do they get some sun? I have lots of shade in my front yard due to two very large willow oaks and would love to plant hellebores. I am just afraid of them getting too much shade. Since I am over in Durham you have the closest growing conditions to mine. Any suggestions welcome.

We have hellebores in full shade, they're completely happy there (although they also grow in the sunnier parts of our garden).

If they do okay in full shade, or with some late afternoon sun then I am in good shape!

Lestv said:@BetNC Are yours planted in full shade, or do they get some sun? I have lots of shade in my front yard due to two very large willow oaks and would love to plant hellebores. I am just afraid of them getting too much shade. Since I am over in Durham you have the closest growing conditions to mine. Any suggestions welcome.

@lestv I originally had most of my hellebores in my front garden (shaded by a very large oak tree) and some in my short side garden (shaded by a ). The front garden was in near-complete shade and, although my hellibores lived and flowered for the 2-3 years there, the ones in my side garden (in noticeably filtered shade) thrived and grew faster. Now ALL my hellebores are in my extended side garden (in noticeably filtered sun by 2 deciduous medium-sized trees) and are very happily "doing their thing".

In my part of the country mine are in similar conditions as yours are BetNC. Bright filtered shade under a deciduous mimosa three and are very happy.
The 'Kingston Cardinal' was planted at the back foundation of the house, which faced east so had first half of the day sun. It was a very happy and healthy plant until it was dug up.

Yay Hellebores
I have a couple and now having learned they like alkaline conditions, which is all I have, I'm thinking I need some more
Those Winter Jewels are really something!

Lynn, you might have to pick up a few extra!

Blue Lady


Lost the tag. Still pretty

Snow Fever. Has recovered from the construction workers.

Wow, Julia I love the leaves on 'Snow Fever'. Where did you get that one?


Dirt, let me know which ones you want. I can bring them home and you can pay me and take them home when you come in April.
Also let me know what size you would want. Sure wish I could remember what I paid for the great big one I brought home two years ago. Two larger ones and the small 'Golden Sunrise'. The two large ones had already set seed.

Sorry don't remember. There are different kinds of hellebore, this explains. Snow Fever is a Corsican variety.
http://www.plantdelights.com/A...

Here is some information on hellebore that I didn't know before. What we think of as the petals on the flower are actually sepals.


And what usually kills a hellebore, as in my 'Kingston Cardinal', is damaging the meristem.
A meristem is the tissue in most plants containing undifferentiated cells (meristematic cells), found in zones of the plant where growth can take place. Meristematic cells give rise to various organs of the plant and keep the plant growing.
That is why mine didn't come back from the roots. When the leaves were pulled out as weeds it damaged the meristem causing the death of the plant, probably through allowing bacteria into this delicate area causing rot to the root system.

Wonderful Lynn!!!
I'll be happy with anything, but if you can choose from the full selection
Ruby Wine, Apricot Blush, Golden Sunrise, and one of the blackish ones---Onyx Oddessy, Black or Blue Diamond

I might just have to rent a U-haul for a one way tip home or strap the dogs on the roof

Or have the dogs pull the overloaded van.

I am so excited. It won't be long now before there will be blooms galore under the mimosa tree out front.

@valleylynn those are some real beauties!! Even my oldest plant is smaller than your last two pics! although my "babies" are about the same size as your first pic, they won't even bloom until NEXT winter!!

It seems to me that my hellebores bloom exponentially (1,2,4) every year, so NEXT winter I should see 8 blooms on my oldest ones.

How many winters does your 3 pics have? And what is the name of that beauty in your last pic????

The two bigger ones were in 3 gallon nursery pots when I got them at from Northwest Gardens in 2014. And they have grown since then. The little one was in a quart size container. I would have got a larger one, but that was the last one available for Golden Sunrise. The one they had in there garden was huge, an the site of it took my breath away.