Clearing Woods - Shrubs - Part 1 - Spicebush

» bethbuck - Helleborus Orientalis

Hi,

In the fall of 2000, I planted 3 Helleborus Orientalis, which I purchased from Wayside Gardens. I'm in zone 6 with lots of Oaks and I do see a few new shoots forming now, however, so far these plants have done nothing except they have stayed alive. They have not bloomed or spread in any way. I'm wondering, even though the catalogue says they require almost no maintenance, should I fertilize them to help them out ? I keep them mulched but other than that I haven't done anything but taken out a few weeds. It is disappointing because they're supposed to be such great plants.

Thanks for your help, Beth

-- posted by bethbuck

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» Marge_Talt - Re: Helleborus Orientalis

In response to message posted by bethbuck:

Hi Beth, Welcome to Gardening in Shade!.

If you only planted last fall, you simply need to be patient with these guys. They take a while to settle in. Since you are seeing new shoots, that means they are alive....always a plus with a new planting, especially a fall planting:-)

It could also be that Wayside sold you unflowered seedlings. It takes at least 3 years from seed to flowering with most Hellebores...some are quicker, like the H. foetidus..but most take that long.

If you received flowering size plants, but they were bare root, they could easily need extra time to get established. I have had bare root divisions from Graham Birkin flower for me the following spring, but most need another year to recover from being divided and bare rooted.

If you have planted them in decent soil with organic conent that drains well, they should do fine for you. They are long-lived plants who put down massive root systems.

I do not think you should fertilzie them. Really, if you amended the soil at planting time, they don't need extra feeding.

You will not see "spreading" for several years. Once they start blooming for you, they will set seed and you can either plant that seed where you want it or keep an eye out for seedlings, who will pop up around the mother plants and some distance from it - ants carry the seeds around. Fresh seed germinated readily the fall or spring following planting. Dry stored seed is an entirely different story. When yours do set seed, if you want to plant it yourself, you need to do so immediately upon harvesting it - and you have to keep a sharp eye on it to catch it before the pod open and scatter it around.

Clumps will slowly expand in girth, too.

They really don't require much maintenance...only removal of old foliage in late winter or before they start to flower. Once established, they are also pretty drought tolerant.

Key is "established". It takes any perennial at least one full season in the garden to get established and some plants need a couple years or more.

-- posted by Marge_Talt

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