HELLEBORUS. Hellebore. Southern Europe, Western Asia. The hellebores are showy, undemanding perennials for California gardens. They have large, leathery leaves on long stalks, divided hand-like into several leaflets. Their flowers are presented in branched, sometimes massive clusters above the foliage in early spring, often lasting on the plants for two months or more. They are usually large, cupped and colored various shades of maroon or green to nearly white. All parts of the plants are seriously toxic, and some people have problems even handling them. Wear gloves! For some reason, this toxicity doesn’t prevent snails from disfiguring the leaves from time to time, or thrips from attacking the new growth and flowers. Part shade, reasonably well drained soil, and moderate watering are preferable. Most will tolerate some drought when established. Hardy to 0oF. or less, except as shown.
foetidus. Arguably the showiest of the green flowered hellebores. It grows about 2’ tall, with erect, leafy stems. Each leaf is divided into 7 or more very narrow, dark green leaflets. The branched flower clusters carry many cupped 1" blossoms which are colored pale green, usually with maroon edging.
lividus and argutifolius (corsicus). There has been hot taxonomic debate concerning what was once all included under H. lividus. I am using Brian Mathew’s scheme. These are two very similar, leafy-stemmed plants growing 2-3’ tall. Both have large, conspicuously toothed, bluish green leaves. Both bear large clusters of 2" chartreuse blossoms. 10oF or less.
orientalis. Lenten rose. Lower growing than the last, with shiny dark green leaves. The typical form has 2-3" blossoms, colored cream to pale green and often tinged with pink and speckled on some segments with dark green or purple. The forms collectively (and incorrectly) known for many years as the variety atrorubens are distinguished by blossoms of deep maroon. Over the past several years I have selected and reselected strains with unusually large flowers of clear, bright pink, and others with pure white flowers. These are delightful and undemanding garden plants, growing more beautiful each year.
x sternii. This is a group of hybrids of H. argutifolius and H. lividus. Our first group was received by accident as seed under the argutifolius label. Soon it was clear that something more interesting was in the works. These are plants of variable height, with broadly parted leaves, generally darker and greyer (or bluer) than those of H. argutifolius. The flowers are borne in smaller clusters and are often darker in color, with or without additional purple shading. The strain ‘Boughton Beauty’ is even more interesting. Recently a particularly fine plant of this strain was received from Wayne Roderick for pollination and seed collection. All vegetative parts of the plants, particularly the undersides of the leaves, are tinged with red or purple, and the flowers have various markings and shadings of the same. 10oF. or less.
‘White Magic’. For those who long to grow the Christmas rose, H. niger, but have found it too temperamental or even unavailable, this beautiful seed strain offers fresh hope. It appears to be a hybrid between H. niger and H. orientalis, above. It is lower growing than H. orientalis, has greyer leaves and shorter flower stems, but it is just as prolific and floriferous as that species. The flowers are about 3” across, opening nearly flat, and pure white in color.