Veratrum album 'Lorna's Green'
white false hellebore 'Lorna's Green'
A rhixomatous perennial with broadly ovate, pleated basal leaves with lightly hairy undersides. Produces upright flower stems to 2.5m high in early to midsummer, with pendent branches densely covered with small, pale green flowers
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Melanthiaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Potentially harmful
- TOXIC if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling TOXIC to pets if eaten (dogs) - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
- Genus
Veratrum are herbaceous, rhizomatous perennials with erect stems bearing alternate, pleated ovate or elliptic leaves and dense, branched panicles of small, star-shaped flowers in summer
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in deep, humus-rich soil. Prefers partial shade but will tolerate full sun in a site that does not dry out. Shelter from cold, drying winds
Propagation
Propagate by seed, sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, or for quicker results by division in autumn (propagation by seed is unreliable and slow)
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Architectural
- Cottage and informal garden
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
Flower spikes can be cut down after flowering, or left to develop seed heads for winter interest
Pests
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.