Hellebores For Your Garden

Are you familiar with hellebores? If not, let me introduce you to a wonderful perennial for shade. These plants are evergreen and bloom in the winter or early spring. That’s right, there’s a perennial plant that’s in flower in December, January and February! Here’s what you need to know about these fantastic plants.

• The hellebores that flower from late-November into March on the Cape are Helleborus niger, aka “the Christmas rose.” They have dark green leaves and flowers that range from white to pink depending on the variety.
• The “Lenten rose” hellebores flower in the early spring. These are Helleborus orientalis
• There are other hybrid hellebores called Helleborus x hybridus. These usually bloom in the early spring but check the labels for flowering time since each varies.
• All hellebores are unappetizing for deer. When happy they also will self-seed in the garden.
• Grow hellebores in part to full shade in soil that’s between 6 to 7.5 in pH.
• Since the Christmas rose is in bloom in the winter this is the perfect plant to have growing by the door you use most often at that time of year. You’ll smile every time you go outside to fill your bird feeder if you’ve got some hellebores planted by the back door!