Helleborus - Winter Rose
One of the most interesting and popular plants for winter colour is the Heleborus or Lenton Rose.
The most commonly grown species is Heliborus orientalis, the Lenton Rose or Winter Rose is the more common name in New Zealand.
It is a native of NE Greece, European Turkey, and Soviet Georgia at up to 2200m altitude. Its natural habitat is in scrub and at the edges of woods and forests. There are a number of variations which are often found in the wild.
In recent years both in New Zealand and overseas plant breeding programmes have created new and named cultivars of these beautiful plants.
Hellebores bloom in winter and early spring when cool days keep flowers fresh over an extended period. The inconspicuous petals and stamens drop as the temperatures rise, but the sepals that form the bell remain attractive into late spring. The softly colored bells are either green, white or various shades of dark red to plum. Some have spots inside the bells and others are rimmed in maroon.
They set seed rapidly and the best way to gather them is to let the seed fall to the ground and germinate beside the parent plant. You can shift the young plants the next year.
Winter roses (hellebores) bring a delicate splash of colour when there is not much else in bloom. They look wonderful planted en masse under trees for a wintry woodland effect, and will flower from June until November.
The large "petals" are actually sepals which is commonly known as the calyx but on this plant it has developed to take over the functions of the petals. Click on th image to make it larger.
So where are the petals? In the last image above you can just see the reduced petals which look like semi rounded structures holding nectar in these structures for insects that need to be attracted to ensure pollination takes place.
They are notable for their nodding flowers and unusually delicate colours; perhaps the most familiar is Helleborus orientalis. But there are others with interesting flowers and leaves, such as the tender H. lividus, which has green flowers streaked with purple.
All parts of this plant are poisonous.
They are rapidly gaining in popularity among discerning gardeners for their handsome, mostly evergreen foliage.
Hellebores thrive in lightly or partly shaded places, where the soil has been prepared with an abundance of organic material. The roots resent disturbance. Maintain high fertility with an annual application of compost or well-rotted manure in autumn and a light application of fertiliser in spring.
Cut back any leaves damaged by winter weather. For an interesting display completely remove all the leaves just prior to flowering. New foliage will appear. Deep, frequent watering is necessary in dry weather.
If you must divide the plants to build stock, this is best done just after flowering, but otherwise do not disturb them. H. orientalis, in particular, hybridises and self-seeds quite freely; it is fun to grow seedlings on your own, but only fresh seeds will germinate readily.
Helleborus orientalis (Lenten rose) is easier to grow than H. niger and usually blooms a little later, with small clusters of cup-shaped, nodding flowers ranging from white, often speckled with maroon, to pale green, through pink to purple. Growing to 60cm tall, it is hardy and is not heat-tolerant.
Helleborus argutifolius syn. H. corsicus (spiny-toothed hellebore) has nodding clusters of pale lime green bells above spiny-edged dark leathery leaves. These coarse-textured plants are bulky and grow to 60cm tall. They are short-lived but often self-seed. From the Island of Corsica. Some of the images here are of seedlings of mine with a dark reddish tinge to the back of the flowers.
Helleborus foetidus (stinking hellebore) is similar to H. argutifolius in height and shape. The green flowers have maroon rims and the dark leaves are divided into long narrow leaflets. Both species bloom in late winter or spring.
Helleborus niger (Christmas rose), somewhat temperamental, is the best known species. It has cup-shaped, nodding flowers opening pure white and turning blush pink, blooming in late winter to early spring. The dark foliage is evergreen, and the plant grows to 20 - 30cm high.
I have prepared a Pinterest page with lots of images. See it here. Heleborus
The most commonly grown species is Heliborus orientalis, the Lenton Rose or Winter Rose is the more common name in New Zealand.
It is a native of NE Greece, European Turkey, and Soviet Georgia at up to 2200m altitude. Its natural habitat is in scrub and at the edges of woods and forests. There are a number of variations which are often found in the wild.
In recent years both in New Zealand and overseas plant breeding programmes have created new and named cultivars of these beautiful plants.
Hellebores bloom in winter and early spring when cool days keep flowers fresh over an extended period. The inconspicuous petals and stamens drop as the temperatures rise, but the sepals that form the bell remain attractive into late spring. The softly colored bells are either green, white or various shades of dark red to plum. Some have spots inside the bells and others are rimmed in maroon.
They set seed rapidly and the best way to gather them is to let the seed fall to the ground and germinate beside the parent plant. You can shift the young plants the next year.
Winter roses (hellebores) bring a delicate splash of colour when there is not much else in bloom. They look wonderful planted en masse under trees for a wintry woodland effect, and will flower from June until November.
The large "petals" are actually sepals which is commonly known as the calyx but on this plant it has developed to take over the functions of the petals. Click on th image to make it larger.
So where are the petals? In the last image above you can just see the reduced petals which look like semi rounded structures holding nectar in these structures for insects that need to be attracted to ensure pollination takes place.
They are notable for their nodding flowers and unusually delicate colours; perhaps the most familiar is Helleborus orientalis. But there are others with interesting flowers and leaves, such as the tender H. lividus, which has green flowers streaked with purple.
All parts of this plant are poisonous.
They are rapidly gaining in popularity among discerning gardeners for their handsome, mostly evergreen foliage.
Hellebores thrive in lightly or partly shaded places, where the soil has been prepared with an abundance of organic material. The roots resent disturbance. Maintain high fertility with an annual application of compost or well-rotted manure in autumn and a light application of fertiliser in spring.
Cut back any leaves damaged by winter weather. For an interesting display completely remove all the leaves just prior to flowering. New foliage will appear. Deep, frequent watering is necessary in dry weather.
If you must divide the plants to build stock, this is best done just after flowering, but otherwise do not disturb them. H. orientalis, in particular, hybridises and self-seeds quite freely; it is fun to grow seedlings on your own, but only fresh seeds will germinate readily.
Helleborus orientalis (Lenten rose) is easier to grow than H. niger and usually blooms a little later, with small clusters of cup-shaped, nodding flowers ranging from white, often speckled with maroon, to pale green, through pink to purple. Growing to 60cm tall, it is hardy and is not heat-tolerant.
Helleborus argutifolius syn. H. corsicus (spiny-toothed hellebore) has nodding clusters of pale lime green bells above spiny-edged dark leathery leaves. These coarse-textured plants are bulky and grow to 60cm tall. They are short-lived but often self-seed. From the Island of Corsica. Some of the images here are of seedlings of mine with a dark reddish tinge to the back of the flowers.
Helleborus foetidus (stinking hellebore) is similar to H. argutifolius in height and shape. The green flowers have maroon rims and the dark leaves are divided into long narrow leaflets. Both species bloom in late winter or spring.
Helleborus niger (Christmas rose), somewhat temperamental, is the best known species. It has cup-shaped, nodding flowers opening pure white and turning blush pink, blooming in late winter to early spring. The dark foliage is evergreen, and the plant grows to 20 - 30cm high.
I have prepared a Pinterest page with lots of images. See it here. Heleborus