Hellebores

[James R.]

Thank you both! (I changed mine)

[Joseph]

James, those are all nice, and the first one is quite special. By chance are any from NWGN? I have a couple from there that are similar.

Here in Tennessee the season is getting underway a bit early. We've had virtually no cold weather so buds on some plants are far too advanced for this time. Some of the reproductive parts will inevitably be destroyed by cold later on.

One of my primary goals is to develop relatively compact plants with exceptional foliage, so I grow a range of species and hybrids from species. Among the best at this time of year are seedlings from H. bocconei, which unlike some other acaulescent species that also carry divided foliage, do not enter autumn-winter dormancy. The result is nice foliage year round for those in places with not-too-extreme winters.

Some images of autumn foliage.

[Hoy]

Joseph, the autumn foliage of your hellebores (bocconei seedlings?) are very handsome! I don't think I have anything similar. What do you call too-extreme-winters? (This November has been extreme here - the coldest in 140 years!)


James and/or Dave: How are your pretty hellebores doing now? Here the soil has frozen solid - no snow cover but cold as in a freezer. (The rest of Europe gets the snow.)

[Joseph]

Trond, I think it would be similar to H. orientalis and most others that are commonly grown: the tissues of leaves can be damaged in cold places that don't have winter snow cover (maybe USDA 5 and colder??). But this is also true of slightly warmer zones (6-7) during the coldest winters. Last year locally it reached 3 F (-16 C) with no problem to the long-term health of the plants. They're completely hardy.

[Hoy]

OK, Joseph. In my garden the extreme cold hasn't been sub -10C/14F yet although other places it has been much colder. All Hellebores I have usually survive the winters untroubled. So they did last winter that was very cold too.

[RickR]

Welcome to the NARGS forum, Joseph!  It's great to have a hellebore expert here.  Love your website (hellebores.org), and that's a wonderful H. bocconei.

Sometimes an herbaceous hellebore is perfect for me with the unpredictable and cold winters here in Minnesota.  The foliage (while it is here) is always fresh...

Helleborus × purpurascens

[James R.]

Hi Joseph,

Sorry it took me so long to reply been busy with school, But to answer your question yes mine are from NWGN I worked for E&M for 7 years before I moved to Vegas and now I haved moved back again so I of course would only buy mine from them they in my opinion are the best and I also propogate my own (since they taught me most of what I know).  

[James R.]

Helleborus beginning to bloom here in my yard and a few blooms starting on my Primula 'Gold Lace' and my Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' just starting to open up. 

[McDonough]

Helleborus beginning to bloom here in my yard and a few blooms starting on my Primula 'Gold Lace' and my Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' just starting to open up. 

We're in the deep freeze here, and after 14" of snow two weeks ago, it is mostly gone (not melted, but evaporated/dehydrated).  This past fall, my plant labeled Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' flowered heavily, out of season, and with yellow not reddish-orange flowers, so its identity is in doubt, or perhaps it was an anomalous flowering for both the season and flower color.  I remember when I lived in the Seattle Washington area, having something in bloom year-round... not the case here with our much harder winters.

[Hoy]

Helleborus beginning to bloom here in my yard and a few blooms starting on my Primula 'Gold Lace' and my Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena' just starting to open up. 

Like here the last 15 years except this and the other year! My earliest hellebores are just 5cm tall and no sign of color on the witch hazel either.

[Todd Boland]

With our exceptionally mild winter so far, I was out looking at my hellebores....they are about 5 cm high too.  I'm not happy as we can expect snow and cold temps any day...not sure what will happen to them then.  Gee, even my snowdrops are in bud already and they normally don't bloom until April around here!

[Hoy]

With our exceptionally mild winter so far, I was out looking at my hellebores....they are about 5 cm high too.  I'm not happy as we can expect snow and cold temps any day...not sure what will happen to them then.  Gee, even my snowdrops are in bud already and they normally don't bloom until April around here!

This happens, Todd:

[Barbara Weintraub]

I just ordered two of M&E's hellebores, 2 of 'Golden Sunrise' with the most yellow foliage, and 1 of "Onyx Jewel." They wont arrive until spring, so no photos until the following winter. These will be my first hellebores, as I haven't had a location for them until now.

[James R.]

You will not be disappointed and then you will be hooked. . mine are all nearly in full bloom here along with my Galanthus and Erianthus and my Erythronium and Trillium are peeking out of the ground. I will post some pics when I have a bit more time during the day to take some.

[Todd Boland]

Ouch Trond!  That is one sad clump of hellebores!

Mine are under 5 feet of snow...no frost in the ground before the snow fell so they should be in suspended animation until May.

Looking forward to seeing blooming hellebores at the WWSW in two weeks in Victoria!