Plant Type

Broadleaf Evergreen, Perennial

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Green

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Half, Shade

 

Water

Low, Medium

 

Growth Rate

Slow

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral

 

Adverse Factors

Attracts Bees

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Japanese, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Spring

 

Location Uses

Entry, Shrub Border, Raised Planter

 

Special Uses

Naturalizing, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

This species of Hellebore has evergreen leaves that are deeply lobed, creating a ferny effect. The flowers are light green, cup-shaped, small, and nodding. the plant grows about 18 to 24 inches tall and about 18 inches wide. Some find the foliage when it is crushed, and the flower to have a somewhat unpleasant smell, though maybe that concern is overstated. Seeds are prolific and the plant, if well sited, will colonize; a lovely thing in a woodland garden. They are much loved by bees.

Grow in well drained, loamy to coarse soil in part shade to part sun; hellebore is not very heat tolerant so be certain that it receives shade during the hottest part of the day in the summer months. Plant where it will receive some protection from drying winter winds. Though evergreen, some leaves may look tatty after our long winters, and so snip them off near the base of the plant for a tidy appearance. though they appreciate regular watering, when in a part sun setting with well amended soil they can be remarkably drought tolerant. Visit hellebores.org for more information.