It was about 25 years ago that a friend introduced me to hellebores – and I became obsessed!

And what is there not to love about them? Here in Portland,OR  they start blooming late December and we enjoy the flowers until mid May. The flowers are frost-resistant; if the frost hits, the flowers droop, but as soon as the temperatures are above 32, they perk immediately back up. So trust me, there are a lot of hellebores in my small garden…

Photos: Theresa Bear and  Ted Mishima

There are so many varieties now, singles and doubles, and the colors range from white, to pinks, purples, black and pale yellow. The flowers have five petal-like sepals surrounding a ring of small, cup-like nectaries which are actually “petals” modified to hold nectar. The sepals do not fall as petals would, but remain on the plant, for many months.Often the sepals also morph in color: as an example white sepals turn green after a few weeks.

Tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions, hybrid hellebores perform best when sited in partial shade in rich, moist, but well-draining soil. Hellebores are quite easy to grow, and since they are perennials they grow more beautiful every year.

They self-sow so easily. It takes 3 years for the new plants to bloom.

The leathery foliage looks beautiful throughout the year. I shear them back in December, right before the new growth emerges.

Every year I apply mushroom compost, which helps boost their growth.

In the spring and fall they need plenty of water – no problem here as it rains so much – when they are actively growing. In the summer they go dormant and need less water.

Hellebores are widely grown in USDA Zone 5a to 8b.

When is the best time to harvest hellebores for a long vase life? It probably has been the most frequently asked question over the years…

The key is to cut them after the seedpod has started to form, as in the picture below. At this stage they will even do fine out of water, if you would like to use them in corsages, or botanical jewelry or any other design.

Not only do I enjoy the hellebores in the garden, I also love designing with them. The last hew years, they have been much more available as cut flowers for many months of the year.

photo Ted Mishima