Helleborus

The hellebores in my garden are evergreen to semi-evergreen perennials that bloom in very early spring & hold their flowers into summer. This is different than to say they continue blooming -- the flowers, once all opened, just remain on the plant for an unusually long time, & continue to look attractive.They started blooming as early as March, were in full bloom in April, & the flowers are still on the plants now in June.

There are numerous species & varieties of these elegant plants. Below are the small few that I am currently growing.

Helleborus orientalis is called Lenten rose hellebore, because it is in bloom during Lent. I have several of these. Some bloom a rosey purple, others ivory with maroon flecks. Some are not big enough to bloom yet. It takes a few years from seed for them to reach blooming size. Helleborus X nigercors is a cross (that's what the X stands for) between two hellebore species. It has outward-facing flowers on tall stems, so it gets noticed! Helleborus foetidus is called bear's foot hellebore because of the shape of it's finely cut leaves. This hellebore is considered by many to have the most beautiful foliage. The individual flowers aren't as showy as on the other hellebores, but in their large clusters they are impressive, & they are the earliest hellebores to bloom in my garden. I need to get a better picture of just the leaves....