Perennial
Lenten rose
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in January | Flowers in February | Flowers in March | Flowers in April | ||||||||
| Plant | Plant in February | Plant in March | Plant in September | Plant in October | Plant in November | |||||||
| Prune | Prune in January | Prune in December | ||||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in January | Looks good in February | Looks good in March | Looks good in April |
Overview
Garden hellebores, mostly Helleborus × hybridus, produce nodding, cup-shaped flowers in late winter and early spring in shades from white and blush through plum to slate-black, sometimes spotted or double. The flowers last for weeks because the showy parts are sepals that persist after the petals proper have gone. Early bees visit them on mild days. Related species include the white Christmas rose, H. niger, and the stinking hellebore, H. foetidus, with pale green bells.
Where to grow lenten rose
Hellebores prefer dappled shade under deciduous trees and shrubs, where they get winter light and summer shade. Rich, moisture-retentive soil that does not waterlog suits them, and they are happy on chalk. Plant them near a path or on a slope so you can look up into the downward-facing flowers.
Planting
Plant in autumn or late winter, spacing them 45 cm apart, in soil enriched with compost or leaf mould. Buying in flower lets you choose colours. Set the crown at soil level and water well.
Care through the year
Spring
Mulch with leaf mould after flowering and water in dry spells while new leaves form.
Summer
Plants rest in shade; keep them from drying out completely.
Autumn
Apply a general feed and plant new hellebores while the soil is still warm.
Winter
Cut last year's leaves off at the base as flower buds appear, which shows off the blooms and removes leaf spot spores.
Pruning
The leaf removal in December or January is the key job. Remove faded flower stems once seed has dropped, or earlier if you want to prevent seeding.
Propagation
Hellebores self-seed generously, and seedlings take two to three years to flower, often in new colours. Large clumps can be divided carefully after flowering, though they dislike disturbance.
Common problems
Hellebore leaf spot causes brown blotches on leaves and flowers; remove affected foliage promptly. Aphids cluster on new growth in spring; squash or hose them off. Black death, a virus that streaks leaves with black, means the plant should be dug up and destroyed.
Guides to the problems most likely to affect lenten rose:
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in January, February, March, September, October, November and December. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.