Scientific name: Helleborus x hybridus
Synonym: Helleborus orientalis
Family: RANUNCULACEAE
Common names: “hybrid Lenten rose”
Plant Type: Evergreen perennial
Conditions:
Zone: 6-9
Light: Partial shade, will tolerate full sun if mulched and watered in summer
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Humus rich, alkaline or neutral soil
Moisture: Moist well drained
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 18″ W 18″, slow growing
Leaf and Stem shape: 7-11 toothed leaflets per leaf
Flower: Loose cymes of white, pink, purple, yellow, and green flowers from January or February to mid April
Pruning: Cut out old leaves just before flowers emerge to improve appearance
Maintenance: Mulch annually in autumn
Landscape use: Flower beds, under trees and shrubs
Propagate: By seed, if you have several different plants in a garden, seedlings can cross easily
Pests & Disease: Black spot fungus if older leaves not removed, H. h. cv. niger is more susceptible to it, yellow forms are more susceptible to virus, exhibited by spotting on both leaves and stems of blooms
*Deer resistant
Comments: Toxic sap! So many different species of Helleborus were “discovered” by botanists who were paid for their discoveries, which led to so much confusion that we now refer to them all as hybridus
