I find hellebores a great partnership, particularly during the Winter months when our favourites are leafless! Even in summer they add some interesting shaped and deep coloured foliage down low. I have no idea how well they do in hotter climates…I suspect not so well..but I’m sure someone else will have had experiences. During a freeze they drop like a sack of potatoes and then pop straight back up again within days! Whitefly and greenfly attack them in the spring and they don’t appear to like anti-aphid sprays..at all!
Ahh my pleasure..they are at their happiest with not too much direct sun, they naturally dwell under the canopies of large trees..the cultivars in the photos are all cultivated but there are also some nice wild ones with smaller green flowers and more upright growth habit. The cultivated species come in single and doubles that have multiple layers of petals as per a couple of them above.
Also good because they are low maintenance, just plant and leave alone apart from the occasional mulch. Will self seed for free extra plants if that is your thing. Obviously good for planting under in-ground trees, but also work well for planting in the gaps between medium/large pots. I like to put a slab or tile down to place the pot on and then plant the gaps between slabs with hellebores and a few spring bulbs etc. Mine are not fully out this year yet but some old pics:
From a hellebore aficionado: You can't beat hellebores! Helleborus niger cultivars (Christmas Rose) begin blooming well before Christmas in many areas and cultivars of Helleborus hybridus (Easter Rose), after Christmas. These are only two of many worthwhile Helleborus species. There are a countless number of colours and combinations within and between species. As time goes by, the colours change . . . for example, some white flowers progress to pink and eventually to burgundy. They last for months! The foliage is evergreen and complimentary to many other plants including maples.
Must... plant... more... hellebores... So, that's my question, really. When is the best time to plant them? They're very late this year, along with most of the spring plants. No daffs out yet, easily 3 weeks late, though there are really a lot of blooms in the offing. The hellebores (what few we have) are going full on now, but usually start in early/mid January. Some of the ones we have are (I assume) the basic plant, lots of small green flowers that self seed. Very pretty indeed. But we redid a flower garden last year, and there is room for more hellebores for certain.
Now is the perfect time. Hellebores are usually most available in garden centres when they are in bloom. Since they are very long-lived plants, it is worthwhile to prepare the planting site carefully- they do best in rich, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil. I find they can handle quite a bit of sun in this area; some that have self-seeded are in full sun and thriving but I wouldn't plant them in full sun on purpose. Did you know that one of the most famous and productive hellebore hybridizers in the world is relatively close to you (compared to me on the west coast of Canada)? Josef Heuger Nursery - Home - Helleborus . If you have time to spend to peruse this amazing website, there's a map under 'Plant Knowledge' . . . 'Helleborus Species and Their Distribution' where you can click on the names of individual species and see the area they originate pop up on a map of Europe and Asia.
Glad to hear you enjoy them too :) Do you find they get hit by whitefly in the spring and don’t react well to sprays? They seem to drop fast after applying pesticides and look like they will die.. I then drenched them with the hose 24hrs later and they recovered.. I would be interested in anyones experiences in this regard.
I have had problems on some plants with aphids but not whitefly. I haven't used any pesticide so far; just a spray of water. I don't know that whitefly spreads disease the way aphids are reputed to do - the viral Black Death being the most feared with hellebores (not to be confused with more common fungal discolouration of leaves and sometimes, flowers). Hellebore black death As with aphids, whitefly can be a big nuisance but I have no suggestions other than cultural controls to deal with them. What insecticide did you use?
I used a regular aphid treatment for roses, shrubs and trees that I have used on my JM for years called “Roseclear” it says it’s a new-generation dual systemic insecticide and fungicide.
I looked up RoseClear and see that the 2 active ingredients are tritconazole and acetamiprid, both of which are supposedly okay to use on hellebores. (The fact that they are very harmful to bees is definitely something to keep in mind however.) It is very puzzling that your plants reacted badly to those chemicals. One other thought, not that it makes much difference, is that you may be looking at aphids, not whitefly. Could that be possible?
Thanks. I didn’t realise it was harmful to bees..I won’t use it again..I get those hole cutting bees in my garden..I remember @AlainK saying they are quite special. Re whitefly..Or white colour aphids..I don’t know I’ll take a photo when they come..strangely I had very little if any aphid attack on my maples last year..2019 was bad
I find on hellebores it is very quick and easy to squish the aphids as the sepals are quite sturdy (if the aphids are in the flower cup) and the leaves are leathery - no risk of damaging anything! Also I find they are often concentrated in a certain area so they make convenient targets to quickly eliminate a large part of the population. The ants like to farm the species of aphids on hellebores which may explain why they are corralled in one part of a plant rather than another. Hellebore aphid
More of the hellebores are flowering also, including one self set plant growing through a crack in the paving.
Ah those are pretty. I looked at @Margot's hellebore page, and they actually suggest autumn planting. I guess that makes sense. I ran into the guy who sells some of my excess seedlings on the market last Friday, he raises nursery stock including hellebores. I was going to get some nice dark flowered ones that he had, but looking closely say they were pretty gnarly. I'll hit him up next fall though, for sure! I just potted some small rhodies that are for companion planting next year, 'Lord Roberts' and 'Calsap'. Also got some more Eucalyptus, E. pulverulenta will stay small (I hope), and the others will provide more shade for maples.
I planted some Iris reticulata, for me, for my sons, for my Mama. I thought they would all blossom at the same time, but the yelow ones were very early, and the rest is only beginning to bloom as the first ones are beginning to fade. I wonder how I can identify the bulbs for next year...
I also find the different cultivars of the Iris reticulata group can be several weeks apart, even different blues. Are you wanting to separate the different ones ready for next year? One way would be to tie string or wool around the base of the stems of the ones you need to move, and after flowering split and repot while they are still "in the green".