Let It Grow
By Tammy Thornton
Looking for a way to elevate your shade garden? Consider the elegant flowers of hellebores. Because of their bloom time, they are also known as Lenten roses, Christmas roses, or winter roses, since they bloom in late winter and early spring. Although all of these nicknames refer to them as roses, hellebores are not related to roses at all but are in the Ranunculaceae family, like buttercups.
Hellebores go against the odds, blooming under circumstances that are usually problematic for gardeners. Despite their delicate beauty, hellebores are tough perennials that laugh at the cold, often waking from their winter’s beauty sleep before other early bloomers, such as daffodils. Since hellebores are cold-hardy in USDA zones 4-9, they are perfectly suited for our Shore Local readers who are mostly gardening in Zone 7. Shady spots often prove a challenge for gardeners, but hellebores thrive in dappled light. They grow well under the canopy of deciduous trees and would add a touch of class to a woodland garden. In addition to being cold- and shade-tolerant, these jewels of the garden are also deer- and rabbit-resistant. This is because all parts of the plant are toxic both to humans and animals, so deer and rabbits will find hellebores distasteful. Use caution with these plants near pets and curious young children.
In addition to their other worthy qualities, hellebores are known for their long-lasting blooms both on the plant and as cut flowers. Like demure belles of the ball, these beauties are dressed for a gala but slightly bow their modest faces. To truly appreciate their detailed flowers, you’ll want to kneel down, tip the hanging flower heads and take a closer look. As cut flowers, lightly score the ends of the stems so that they will take in more water and last longer in the vase.
While hellebores don’t necessarily die back in summer, they do take a little breather to conserve energy once the weather gets too hot. Even so, during this period of slower growth, you should still be able to enjoy their leathery evergreen leaves. Use this time to prune away any diseased or damaged foliage. When your attention turns to all of the sun-loving plants in your garden, hellebores will be quietly storing energy for the next season. They take years to grow from seed, so hellebores can be among the pricier flowers. However, once established, hellebores fall under the easy-to-care-for category. If you’re lucky, the original plant will disperse seeds and produce new plants for your garden.
Hellebores are among the earliest perennials to bloom in the new season. These sleeping beauties will wake up just when we need it most, encouraging us to push through those final days of winter and early spring cold spells. They come in a wide range of colors. Though they make a fine specimen plant, once you are smitten, it will be hard to be satisfied with just one. Once established, hellebores will reward you year after year with their no-fuss beauty.
Have you grown this elegant flower in your garden? We would love to see your favorites. Please send your pictures, comments, and questions to shorelocalgardener@gmail.com.
