Hellebore care guide
Commonly known as ‘winter roses’, hellebores flower throughout Winter and well into Spring, so they bring colour and interest to the garden when not much else is flowering. Combine them with bulbs such as snowdrops, crocus and daffodils for a long-lasting, bright and cheerful display. Hellebore flowers are also very attractive to bees, so by growing them you are providing a valuable nectar source for bees when they emerge from their Winter hibernation.
Hellebore types
The most popular hellebores, and the easiest to grow, are the clump-forming hybrids. As a result of specialist breeding, many beautiful varieties are now available. Flower colours include white, pink, peach, burgundy, yellow, green and even a highly desirable black. They may be single, double or anemone-centred; solid in colour, patterned with spots, dark-centred or picotee-edged. Even the foliage can be interesting, with leaves that are green, blue-green, yellow or silver; plain, marbled or veined.
Species hellebores need perfect drainage, and are therefore suited to more experienced gardeners. These include the tall-stemmed H. argutifolius (Corisican hellebore), H. lividus (Majorcan hellebore), H. foetidus (Stinking hellebore) and H x sternii. Another species hellebore, the white-flowered H. niger (Christmas rose), is generally only recommended for very cold areas like the Dandenongs or Mt Macedon. Having said that, we have seen H. niger growing successfully here in Malvern for many years, so if you like it, it’s definitely worth a try!
Where to plant hellebores
Hellebores grow well throughout Victoria, as they are frost-hardy and tolerant of most soil types and soil pH. However, they do prefer a rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter, so may struggle in very sandy soils.
Although hellebores are considered to be a ‘shade plant’, they actually need a lot more light than many people realise. The ideal spot is under deciduous trees, where they receive sun in Winter but are shaded from hot Summer sun. If planting under evergreen trees and shrubs, try to place them so that they receive as much Winter sun as possible. Spacing should be about 45-60cm apart.
Hellebores in pots
Hellebores can be grown successfully in pots outdoors, but as they have a deep and vigorous root system they will need to be gradually potted on each year into the next size up, with 30-40cm diameter pots being the ideal final size for mature plants.
Caring for hellebores
Hellebores are low maintenance plants that require little attention once established. For plants grown in the ground, a weekly watering is recommended in their first year, but due to their deep root system they are generally quite drought-tolerant thereafter. Hellebores grown in pots will require regular watering throughout their life.
The growth season for hellebores begins in Autumn, when new shoots begin to emerge at soil level. For clump-forming varieties, this is the time to cut back to ground level any old, tatty foliage from the previous season to allow the fresh new growth to come through. (Note that this does not apply to tall-stemmed H. argutifolius, H. foetidus and H. x sternii, which should have their entire stems cut back to the base in Spring, after flowering.)
Autumn is also the time to begin feeding your hellebores. Any complete fertiliser is suitable. If you wish to move or divide your hellebores, then this should be done in Autumn as well. No further care is required until Spring, when plants will benefit from an application of mulch before the heat of Summer.
And unless you want a prolific crop of seedlings popping up the following winter, it’s a good idea to remove spent flowers before they drop their seed.
Common pests & problems
Lack of flowering – this is usually due to insufficient light during Winter, due to shading from evergreen trees and shrubs. Lack of fertiliser may also be a cause.
Aphids – these are a significant pest of hellebores, and are usually found hiding on the underside of the leaves. Check plants regularly and apply a contact insecticide such as Pyrethrum or Mavrik (a synthetic pyrethrum), being sure to spray the underside of the leaves thoroughly. Repeat applications are likely to be necessary. We do not recommend the use of systemic insecticides containing Imidacloprid (e.g. Confidor, Sharp Shooter Bug & Insect Spray) during flowering as this chemical is toxic to bees.
Fungal infections – this is usually seen as black spotting on leaves, and is often caused by overhead watering and/or too much water. Allow the soil to dry out a little between waterings. Water your plants in the morning, rather than in the afternoon, and apply water directly to the soil to avoid wetting the foliage. Remove all affected leaves, dispose of them in the rubbish bin (not the compost bin). The plant should then produce new, healthy growth.
Flowering out of season – sometimes hellebores get confused and flower at the wrong time, such as over Summer. This can be due to unusual weather conditions or a plant still settling in. Unseasonal flowers are usually of poor quality, and sometimes of a different colour. It is best to remove these flowers immediately, and in subsequent seasons the plant should flower true to colour and form.
