Lenten rose: easy care, but poisonous

By Stephanie Hughes OSU Extension master gardener volunteer

I have discovered hellebores! Where have I been? These lovely flowers bring the garden to life in the earliest part of spring.

These delightful perennials are also called Lenten rose and Christmas rose. In warmer climates they bloom in December (hence the name), but in Ohio they are the earliest of flowers (in February when it is warm enough, but usually in late March or even April). The plants are a mound of evergreen, pedate leaves, with flowers that are 11/2 to 2 feet high. The flowers are weighed down and hang on a slender stalk. They range from creamy shades of white, tinged with green, to mauve to pink to gray. They begin light and deepen with age. They last at least a month, many times fading to a green for quite a long time. There are many hybrids and they freely seed, but the colors may not be true.

They are hardy in zones 4-9 (so they do quite well here in the Mahoning Valley) and they love partial to full shade. They do best in rich moist soil high in organic material, but they will not tolerate standing in water. They must be protected from the hot summer sun. They are heavy feeders.

They are poisonous, so be careful around pets and children.

They freely seed (may take up to four years to germinate) in leaf litter, and they can be divided in late winter before flowering. Be sure there are at least two buds on each crown. They can be cut back to “restart” as well.

One of the recommended ways to display the blooms is to cut 1-inch stems and float them in a bowl of water. The blooms last a month, and you can watch them change and deepen in colors.

To learn more about growing these beautiful plants: http://go.osu.edu/lentenrose

To see colors and plant options: http://go.osu.edu/types.