{"id":4001,"date":"2017-05-23T17:53:18","date_gmt":"2017-05-23T17:53:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/?p=4001"},"modified":"2020-05-30T16:57:38","modified_gmt":"2020-05-30T16:57:38","slug":"everything-hellebore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/everything-hellebore\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything Hellebore"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"827219ce0a87fa193c09e84c4c9a0f12\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:20px 0 20px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- MOINSBD Link Top -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-4387862990858706\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"6762903103\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"link\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_4002\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4002\" class=\"wp-image-4002 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Helleborus-Honeyhill-Joy-wm.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"526\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Helleborus-Honeyhill-Joy-wm.jpg 620w, https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Helleborus-Honeyhill-Joy-wm-300x255.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4002\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hybrid Hellebore (Helleborus x nigercors \u2018Honeyhill Joy\u2019)<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Hellebore \u2013 Move over Hosta &#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t say we didn\u2019t warn you \u2013 pay close attention to this group!\u00a0 There is an explosion in availability and interest for all things Hellebore now and there will be for years to come.<\/p>\n<p>Remember when Hosta suddenly had so many wonderful and amazing varieties you were greeted by signs at your local garden centre welcoming you to \u201cHosta World\u201d? \u00a0Long gone were the days of the solitary bench stuck over in the shady corner.<\/p>\n<p>Well the same explosion of interest is happening with Hellebores.\u00a0 Gardeners who are \u201cin-the-know\u201d already appreciate Hellebores, particularly hybrid types known as Lenten Roses.\u00a0 These were chosen as the Perennial Plant of the Year back in 2005, which actually put them on the map for countless gardeners across the continent.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Where to plant?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We highly recommend planting Hellebores where you will be able to admire them in early spring before anything else in your garden wakes up \u2013 perhaps somewhere partially shaded along the walkway leading to your front door?<\/p>\n<p><strong>It&#8217;s time &#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>So because of the buzz in the gardening magazines and gardening shows (and of course this article) \u2026 it\u2019s the perfect time of year for \u201cHellebore first-timers\u201d to purchase one or more of these beauties or \u201ccollectors\u201d to add to their Hellebore collection. \u00a0Timing couldn\u2019t be better &#8211; availability and prices are excellent!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Out of the west &#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In Southern Ontario and on the prairies, the garden centres are still weeks away from stocking up on perennials, but it&#8217;s a different matter in BC&#8217;s Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and down the coast Seattle way.\u00a0 Our BC nursery reports lots of colour in their coldframes, particularly Hellebores.\u00a0 They are already being shipped out to the stores so hurry in \u2013 don\u2019t be disappointed.<\/p>\n<p>Varieties: \u00a0\u00a0<a title=\"Helleborus x hybridus Cherry Blossom\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-hybridus-wj-cherry-blossom.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Cherry Blossom\u2019<\/a>, <a title=\"Helleborus x hybridus Golden Lotus\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-hybridus-wj-golden-lotus.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Golden Lotus\u2019<\/a>, <a title=\"Helleborus x nigercors Honeyhill Joy\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-nigercors-honeyhill-joy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Honeyhill Joy\u2019<\/a>, <a title=\"Helleborus Ivory Prince\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-nigersmithii-ivory-prince.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Ivory Prince&#8217;<\/a>, <a title=\"Helleborus niger 'Praecox'\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-niger-praecox.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">niger \u2018Praecox\u2019<\/a>, <a title=\"Helleborus x hybridus Onyx Odyssey\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-hybridus-wj-onyx-odyssey.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Onyx Odyssey\u2019<\/a>, <a title=\"Helleborus x hybridus Peppermint Ice\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-hybridus-wj-peppermint-ice.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Peppermint Ice\u2019<\/a>,<a title=\"Helleborus Red Racer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-hybridus-wt-red-racer.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> \u2018Red Racer\u2019<\/a>, <a title=\"Helleborus x nigercors Snow Love\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-nigercors-snow-love.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Snow Love\u2019<\/a> and <a title=\"Helleborus x nigercors Candy Love \/ Vancouver Medallion\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-ericsmithii-vancouver-medallion.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Vancouver Medallion\u2019<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A simple click on the name will take you to a picture and description.<\/p>\n<p>The BC nursery sells\/ships in Canada &#8211; the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and in the USA &#8211; the Pacific Northwest and the Western Mountain States.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Out of the east &#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Ontario nursery also has beautiful Hellebore selections available and garden centres will be ordering them in as spring approaches (within the next few weeks).\u00a0 Call ahead to your favourite garden centre to see if they\u2019re available or just drop in to say \u2018hi\u2019 and celebrate the coming of spring &#8230;\u00a0 Varieties available to be shipped from Ontario:\u00a0 \u00a0<a title=\"Helleborus x hybridus Golden Lotus\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-hybridus-wj-golden-lotus.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Golden Lotus\u2019<\/a>, <a title=\"Helleborus x nigercors Honeyhill Joy\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-nigercors-honeyhill-joy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Honeyhill Joy\u2019<\/a>, <a title=\"Helleborus Ivory Prince\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-nigersmithii-ivory-prince.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Ivory Prince\u2019<\/a>, <a title=\"Helleborus x hybridus Onyx Odyssey\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-hybridus-wj-onyx-odyssey.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Onyx Odyssey<\/a>\u2019 and <a title=\"Helleborus x hybridus Peppermint Ice\" href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/plants\/helleborus-hybridus-wj-peppermint-ice.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018Peppermint Ice\u2019<\/a>.\u00a0 Again, a simple click on the name will take you to a picture and description.<\/p>\n<p>The Ontario nursery sells\/ships in Canada &#8211; the province of Ontario and other provinces to the east under special conditions open to garden centres and in the USA &#8211; the Northeast and Great Lakes Region.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, Hellebores are very easy to please, last for years and always put on a spectacular late winter to spring display, depending on where you live. These are shade-lovers that have handsome foliage all season long after the flowers are faded and gone. They won&#8217;t disappoint.<\/p>\n<p><strong>All you ever wanted to know about Helleborus &#8230; Additional information for plant geeks!<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For years the main way to propagate Helleborus was by seed.\u00a0 Divisions were possible but really expensive and slow.\u00a0 Once in a while one would see a slide presentation from a Hellebore breeder featuring all of their stunning crosses.\u00a0 There were singles, doubles, white, green, pink, blue and black ones, such kinds as we had never seen before.\u00a0 Too bad we couldn\u2019t get them!\u00a0 Seed strains of Lenten Roses began to appear.\u00a0 Early and important breeders such as the late Elizabeth Strangman and John Massey of the UK laid the groundwork for further breeding right across the globe. Everybody and their dog began to offer seed mixtures from hand crosses.\u00a0 We\u2019ve tried a host of them and yes, some were a lot better than others.\u00a0 We still offer some of these seed-produced mixtures because of the wide range of shades that appear \u2013 and also because of their lower price.<\/p>\n<p>The true species and botanical forms of Helleborus are, of course, propagated by seeds and most likely always will be.\u00a0 Demand for these is pretty much limited to serious collectors with the exception of a few popular types such as H. argutifolius, H. foetidus.\u00a0 Good old H. niger a.k.a. the Christmas Rose (blooming anywhere from Christmas through to Easter depending on your climate) remains a lovely, classic garden plant, with hybrids such as H. niger \u2018Praecox\u2019 (see listed above) offering all the beauty with extra vigour.<\/p>\n<p>Hybrid Helleborus are the result of careful selection and hybridization and are being produced in record numbers using modern propagation techniques such as tissue culture.\u00a0 This allows for the production of large numbers of excellent hybrids, though still at significant cost.\u00a0 Some examples are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>H. X sternii \u2013 a hybrid of H. lividus and H. argutifolius<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>H. x ericsmithii \u2013 a hybrid of H. sternii and H. niger<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>H. x nigercors \u2013 a hybrid of H. argutifolius and H. niger<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>H. x ballardiae \u2013 a hybrid of H. lividus and H. niger<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Helleborus x nigercors \u2018Honeyhill Joy\u2019 from Honeyhill Farms is a classic example of the H. argutifolius and H. niger cross.\u00a0 This hybrid forms a low evergreen clump of shiny blue-tinged leaves.\u00a0 In late winter and early spring, stems rise bearing masses of large out-facing, cream-centered, white blooms that have a green tinge as they age.\u00a0 Excellent mid-winter or early spring display \u2013 lots of flower power.<\/p>\n<p>These hybrids offer the enthusiast considerable variety but consider yourselves warned; interest can turn to addiction in short order.\u00a0 They\u2019re easy to grow and relatively care free.\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.perennials.com\/results.html?findplant=helleborus&amp;searchbutton.x=0&amp;searchbutton.y=0\">Click here<\/a> for some of the beautiful hybrids listed on our website &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>New Generation Seeds<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Breeders have come a long way with Lenten Roses from seed, and there are great things are happening.\u00a0 Jelitto Seeds of Germany launched their Lady Series a few years back, and that was a real breakthrough.\u00a0 Another breakthrough was the Winter Jewels\u2122 Series of double Lenten Roses, strains bred by the extraordinary efforts of Marietta O\u2019Byrne in Oregon.\u00a0 Since then the Winter Thrillers\u2122 Series has been introduced to North American by Walters Gardens and the Winter Magic\u2122 Series from the Belgian nursery Het Wilgenbroek.\u00a0 Other significant breeders include Plant Delights Nursery and Pine Knot Farms in North America with others located in Europe, Japan and Australia.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hellebore \u2013 Move over Hosta &#8230; Don\u2019t say we didn\u2019t warn you \u2013 pay close attention to this group!\u00a0 There is an explosion in availability and interest for all things Hellebore now and there will be for years to come. Remember when Hosta suddenly had so many wonderful and amazing varieties you were greeted by [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":4002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gardeners-resources"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4001"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11261,"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4001\/revisions\/11261"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.perennials.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}