Because of their ambiguous lineages from various species, most of the hellebores are known simply as Helleborus hybrids. From the middle of winter to the middle of spring, they bloom with clusters of small flowers in pale pink, red, purple, and white with green. Most hellebores are less than a foot tall, but Corsican helleborus, Helleborus argustifolius, can get taller than two feet.
Where to plant
Helleborus like to be planted under trees, and will be just as happy next to a north or east facing wall. With generous organic matter amendment to improve drainage and moisture retention, the innately slightly alkaline soil of most of California is ideal.
how to care for
Helleborus do not like to be bothered. Their caustic sap makes them difficult to handle, but also deters deer. Established plants need a few years to recover from transplant, or may not even survive. However, seedlings that appear around mature plants are easily transplanted in early spring.
where to purchase
Helleborus can be found at Johnson Garden Center of Morgan Hill [(408) 779-7171] and West Side Nursery of Gilroy [(408) 842-8895]. Paidle Gardens and Accents of Hollister [(831) 636-7281] and other nurseries that stock uncommon plants sometimes have it available. However, helleborus is a bit too unusual for large garden centers that market only the basics.
Tony Tomeo is a consulting horticulturist and arborist for New Image Landscape of Fremont. Reach him at (888) 226-9191 or ttomeo@newimagelandscape.com.
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