Hellebores are shade loving plants that have a clump growing habit. They’re the first to bloom in winter in most areas and are commonly called the Lenten rose. Ivory Prince buds in a deep pink then blooms into a soft white flower, flowering from February into late spring. Even after they’re done flowering, you’ll have their dark green webbed like leaves providing greenery year round.
For planting, hellebores love well drained soil and the roots will rot easily if the soil is too wet. They have long fleshy roots so prefer soil that has been cultivated deep with manure well below their roots. Hellebores take a few years to become established so don’t harvest too much those first two years. Plant in a well shaded area for them to thrive.
Hellebores come in an array of beautiful moody colors which makes them one of my favorite flowers. We love the deep mauve & dusty pinks! No need to prune these beauties, you can just remove any damaged leaves in winter before they start budding.
For vase life, after cutting immediately place stems into boiling water for 30 seconds. It’s also helpful to harvest the blooms once they’ve started producing their seed pods in the center.
Leaves, stems and roots are poisonous.
Check our our other hellebore varieties to create a beautiful winter display in your shade garden.