Hellebores - Part 2
Author: Marge TaltPublished on: Apr 6, 1999
Hellebore fever is relatively recent for me. Not that I haven't enjoyed those I've had for many years - I just hadn't crossed that threshold from liking them to being a bit nuts about them. It's an easy leap to make, these are such marvelous plants. Most of them are so easy to grow and burnish our gardens in the dreary days before Spring truly arrives.
More About Growing From Seed
As I mentioned in Part 1, I've had mixed success with my seed growing. My failures were due, I now know, to buying dry stored seed from a seed company. They, of course, want to sell seed, so they don't tell you that it is going to take a really long time for most of it to germinate, if it ever does, once it has been dry stored for more than a few weeks.
If you are growing hellebores, you have probably found self-sown seedlings (unless you're exceptionally tidy-minded and erase any seedlings the minute they appear in your borders). These are H. argutifolius seedlings coming up around the mature plants in Rolf van de Pavert's Netherlands garden. I like the determined child that poked itself right up through the leaf!
These self-sown children can be easily moved while still quite tiny and potted up. Those that end up in the crown of the parent plant need to be removed, whether they can be saved or not, so they don't create problems for the parent as they grow. One thing to remember about hellebore seedlings - never hold them by the stem, always use the leaves as a handle. The stems are quite sensitive and will bend and turn black where grasped, no matter how gently.
If you have access to fresh seed, sow it immediately for best results. If you obtain seed from an exchange, or other source, that does not arrive until fall, it is still best to sow it as soon as you get it. Under favorable circumstances, fresh hellebore seed (except that of H. niger and H. vesicarius) sown in summer will germinate before Christmas.
Potting Compost
The mix in which you sow your seeds should be loose and free-draining with a high organic material content. Those of you in the UK can use John Innes seed compost. In the US, a good quality bagged compost especially for seeds will do. You may need to add extra grit, perlite or bark fines if it doesn't look like it will drain well.
Pots
You can use clay or plastic pots. A four inch (10.1 cm) minimum size is recommended in Rice and Strangman's Hellebores. Smaller pots tend to dry out faster. Personally, I prefer square plastic pots; they conserve space and don't dry out as fast as clay pots.
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Grit Grit is 1/8 inch (3.17 mm) crushed granite. It's sold in most locals as poultry starter size grit, available at feed and grain stores. Just make sure it's pure grit, with no added salts or calcium. |
Pots Full of Seeds
Since hellebores want a warm period after sowing, put your pots outside in a shady spot near a hose bib; one that you pass frequently so you can check on them. Once watered, you do not want to let them dry out.
If you select clay pots, you will need to plunge them to just below their rims in a bed of grit or coarse sand. Otherwise, they will dry out too quickly in hot weather. Don't just dig a hole in the soil and put them in it - too many critters will get into them. If you use plastic pots, you can put them in a tray and set them just about anywhere that's level and bare. In my article on Growing From Seed, I describe making a screenwire cover for your flats to keep out debris and critters. It's easy to do and saves grief in the long run.
After Germination
If you sowed your seed in summer, start checking your pots two or three times a week around October. Germinated seedlings can winter over in a cool green house or cold frame - with good ventilation and protection from severe frosts, slugs and mice. Shown is a pot of Rolf's H. foetidus 'Wester Flisk', just starting to germinate.
Germination of all seed takes a bit of time. This is the same pot a few weeks later. By the way, no matter what species, all hellebore seedlings look similar to these, with the oval seed leaf.
And this is the same pot of seedlings several weeks later (probably around March), starting to show their true leaves. At this point, you should prick out the seedlings and move them into individual three and a half inch (8.89 cm) pots. Use deep pots or at least four inch (10.16 cm) pots for both H. foetidus and H. argutifolius seedlings because they make a great deal of root growth quickly and need the room. Don't put off pricking out or you will risk root damage from which the seedlings may not recover.
Once transferred to individual pots, they can be put back in the cold frame or kept in the greenhouse until danger of frost is past when you can line them out in a protected place where you will remember to water them - they do not want to dry out. Once they have made good growth and their roots have filled their pots, they are ready to be planted in the garden. It has been my experience that hellebores do not make good long term pot plants; it's best to get them in the ground as quickly as you can once they are of a size to handle the rough and tumble world of the garden.
Now that you've got those seeds planted, let's talk about some of the species and cultivars I know or grow.
Helleborus foetidus
Known as the stinking hellebore, although I've never noticed an off odor about them, H. foetidus is a lovely, although relatively short-lived plant for shady gardens. They will actually take quite a bit of sun, especially in cooler climates. They seed around a good deal, so new plants are always coming on to replace those that fade out. The species has received the AGM, an affirmation of its value in the garden. It's early flowering and easy to grow.
The pale green flowers are small, about three quarters of an inch (2 cm) wide from beautifully formed buds, but so numerous that they light up the garden in late winter or early spring. Most flowers are tipped by a very narrow band of burgundy-purple. Even before the flowers open, the pale green flower bracts make a glowing contrast with the dark leaves.
'Wester Flisk'
There are a few cultivars of H. foetidus, of which, 'Wester Flisk' is the one I grow. Like the European native species, it can reach up to two and a half feet (75 cm) tall and, if particularly happy, four feet (1.2 m) across. The leaves are darker than the species, a dark black green with a slatey cast, which sets off the pale flowers. You can see the narrow, fan shape of the leaves in this photograph.
The distinguishing characteristic, however is the red staining on the stems and petioles. This is variable with seed-grown plants; some exhibit much more red than others. Really fine forms carry the red up the flower stems.
If you want to encourage this trait, you need to rogue out those who don't show it by the time they are a year old. This is something I have a hard time doing, but I am going to try to at least cut back the flowers before the pale-stemmed plants go to seed this year!
Helleborus argutifolius
Hailing from Corsica and Sardinia, the name for this hellebore has bounced from H. argutifolius to H. corsicus (still sometimes used, albeit incorrectly), to H. lividus subspecies corsicus and landed back at H. argutifolius...at least for now. Who knows what thrills the taxonomists have in store for us tomorrow?
I'm the proud parent of a flat full of seedlings, now reaching the pricking out stage. I'm eagerly looking forward to adding these statuesque plants to my garden. This is one hellebore that needs some sun to stand tall; they will flop in shade. It's sometimes a good idea to stake them, even in sun, if you have windy site or get heavy snow cover, so that their stems aren't broken. Their flowers, although similar in color to H. foetidus are much larger, reaching one to two inches across ( 2.5 - 5 cm). Leaves are quite different from H. foetidus, having three large, spined leaflets. Stems can reach three to four feet ( 90 cm - 1.2 m) tall and a happy plant can be four feet (1.2 m) across).
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Maquis Scrub vegetation, where climax forest has been destroyed in the Mediterranean region; generally rather dense, thorny, often aromatic shrubs. |
This one is not quite as hardy as most; it's rated to USDA zone 6. It will also seed around as prolifically as H. foetidus, but, since it's also fairly short-lived, the seedlings provide a ready made replacement. If you don't want them, cut off the flowers before they go to seed.
Helleborus niger
The Christmas Rose seldom flowers at Christmas time, but it's probably one of the best known hellebores, although not always the easiest to please, as I've found out to my sorrow. It doesn't like acid soil, which is what I've got, and I didn't know enough to add lime to the mix. I'll know better next time. Flowers are generally white with a green eye, although they can often have pink stained backs to the sepals and a pink form has been found in the wild by Will McLewin, who sells plants and seeds from it.
When in full spate, this is one of the showiest of hellebores with evergreen foliage and large, flat flowers blooming from January on to April. They make clumps about nine to twelve inches high (23 - 30 cm). It's also received an AGM, so I should be able to grow it if I give it the limy, humus-rich soil it likes in dappled shade, and make sure it doesn't dry out. Unlike the x hybridus varieties, this one should be moved in early spring. It won't like it any better than most of the genera, but it can be done.
There are two subspecies: H. niger subsp. niger and H. niger subsp. macranthus. The latter (shown in this photo) has larger flowers and finely toothed leaves. In the wild, subsp. niger is found in mountains from the Swiss Alps, southern Germany and Austria, through Slovenia and into Croatia and northern Italy, while subsp. macranthus is only found in Italy and some places in Slovenia. They are generally found in woodlands, but sometimes out on more open slopes. I have read, however, that when found in open positions, it does not necessarily mean that hellebores like sun because grasses and other native plants grow up around them, providing shade in summer.
Numerous varieties have been named, but most won't be found in the US and many of the older ones, such as 'Potter's Wheel', have degenerated from the original because of being raised from seed not properly rogued. 'Blackthorn Strain' is supposedly an excellent seed strain with tall dark stems and pink buds opening almost white, turning pink as they age. This is available, this side of the pond, from Heronswood who also offer Will McLewin's pinkish strain as well as several named varieties of H. foetidus. Several online nurseries offer various hellebores, but the Heronswood list is the most extensive I've found.
So many hellebores! I'm out of space and barely started. Next time I've got lots of lovely photos to share with you of the x hybridus group. See ya' later.
Addendum - 7/29/99
A kind and interested reader wrote me, pointing out that the photo I originally had of H. niger had spots, which this species never has. Closer inspection revealed that she was absolutely correct and subsequent inquiry determined that the plant may have been mis named.
By great good fortune, I exchanged email with John Dudley, a hellebore breeder in Tasmania, who has produced some lovely plants of his own at his Elizabeth Town Nursery.
Those of you lucky enough to live in Tasmania can take advantage of his talent! One of his newest crosses is pictured here. He says it's not a good flower, yet...I think it is totally lovely!
John kindly lent me the photographs of H. niger and the subspecies macranthus, which have been added to this article since its original publishing date.
Many Thanks, John!!
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Photo Credits
Photographs kindly lent to me by others for this article belong to them. Do not use them without obtaining permission!
- Pans of seedlings and self-sown H. argutifolius seedlings, H. argutifolius, copyright Rolf van de Pavert.
- Helleborus niger and its subsp. macranthus plus his un-named new double, copyright John Dudley, proprietor of Elizabeth Town Nursery, in Deloraine, Northern Tasmania.
- All other photographs taken by Marge in her garden and at the AHS River Farms garden.