Helleborus niger, aka the “Christmas Rose”, has nothing to do with the Christmas holiday or roses. It is, in fact, a species of Hellebore that happens to bloom very close to Christmas and then keeps blooming until early Spring. This perennial, winter bloomer is low maintenance, prefers the shade, and is poisonous. Large, white Helleborus niger flower advertised in Spoken Garden's podcast In our DIY Garden Minute Ep. 53 – “Helleborus niger – A Mini Plant-Profile”, we’ll describe this gem of a winter flowering plant and how best to care for it. This episode is meant for any gardener who wants to learn how to care for the Hellebores in their garden. For our “Winter Blooming Plants” free cheat sheet, click here!

 

Hellebore Varieties

Hellebores are pretty low maintenance which makes them suitable for any level of gardener, especially beginning gardeners. As long as they have full to partial shade, they are tough, resilient plants that bloom with elegant, downward-facing flowers.

blooming white hellebore plant.

H. niger ‘Jacob’

ivory colored bloming hellebore plant.

H. niger ‘Ivory Prince’

There are many varieties of Hellebore that vary in their color, shape, and maintenance needs, among other things. Examples of some varieties of Hellebore are:

  • Helleborus niger ‘White Magic’
  • Helleborus niger ‘Jacob ‘
  • Helleborus niger ‘Ivory Prince’
  • Helleborus argutifolius ‘Silver Lace’
  • Helleborus foetidus  ‘Red Silver’

  References:

 

Helleborus niger: A Mini Plant Profile Show Notes

Helleborus niger or more commonly known as the Christmas Rose Hellebore.

  • Native to Europe.
  • Flowers from around Christmas all the way into Spring.
  • Grows about 1 foot tall and 1 ½ feet wide, spreading.
  • Flowers 2 inches in diameter starting out white and turning pink as they age.
  • Thrives in almost entirely shaded areas.
  • Doesn’t like to be transplanted, but can be after 2 years growing in one location.
  • Transplant in Spring after done flowering.
  • Fertilized 1 or 2 times a year.
  • Likes high pH soils.
  • Needs regular watering.
  • Grows in Sunset Zones 1 – 7, and 14 – 17.

You can also learn more about how to care for your Hellebore plants by listening to Hellebore Care: Quick Tips For These Winter Bloomers – DIY Garden Minute Ep.52 ! And don’t forget to visit our Free Resources page to check out our plant profile sheets and printable freebies for mulching, pruning, and MORE! Also be sure to read our Winter Pruning post if you need help pruning your Hellebores.   You can find other one-minute topics on our podcast page at spokengarden.com/podcast On Instagram or Pinterest under @SpokenGarden (all one word) to follow or leave us a comment.   Find us on your favorite podcast platform and Alexa through MyPod or AnyPod!

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And hey—before you head out—if you want to connect with us and subscribe to our newsletter go to Spoken Garden’s free resource page! We have FREE garden content we are so excited to give to you, like cheat sheets, plant profile sheets, etc! See you there!

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Today’s Topic:

Helleborus niger

Learn general characteristics and maintenance for the Christmas Rose, or Helleborus niger.

Downloads: 

Show Notes 7 Winter Flowering Plants Cheat Sheet from our Free Resources Library

What You’ll Learn:

  • Plant profile of Helleborus niger, aka the “Christmas Rose”
  • Brief guide to general maintenance, watering needs, etc.

Resources: 

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