Winter interest is enhanced by the inclusion of hellebores into planting schemes. Division of some species can be undertaken in September, giving roots plenty of time to re-establish.
Winter performers
Hellebores are popular plants that provide subtle winter colour. They are being bred in ever-increasing numbers, with double-flowered cultivars becoming particularly popular.
Cultivation
During spring, dead, damaged and diseased leaves can be removed (left)
to reveal new growth, effectively displaying
the fresh flowerheads. Exposing the flowers
in this way assists pollination and should thereby encourage good seed-setting.
Hellebores grown in the garden seed freely, especially where mulch has been applied around plants germinating in early autumn. The resulting seedlings can be lifted in spring and potted on as required. Self-sown seedling plants may reach flowering size in two to three years.
Division
True species, which hybridise freely in the garden, and named hybrids can only be propagated by division, as seed will not come true. Dividing is often done in early spring but many growers argue that Helleborus x hybridus (the so-called orientalis hybrids) are best divided in September. Hellebores have thick rootstocks with relatively few fine roots and are, therefore, especially slow to re-establish.
Divisions need to be of a reasonable size to establish but flowering the following year is likely to be poor. Helleborus foetidus and H. argutifolius are best raised from seed as they are not suitable for division.
Pests and diseases
Sarah Durrant