Helleborus hybridus Pink

Helleborus x hybridus Pink bears simple and charming soft pink flowers. Hellebore flowers are perhaps one of the most anticipated joys for gardeners, as they accompany the lengthening days that announce the end of winter. Oriental hellebore is a robust and hardy perennial that is irreplaceable for brightening shaded areas of the garden or terrace in winter. Combine it with more colourful woodland plants, and early-flowering bulbs.

Native to northwest Turkey to the Caucasus and northeast Greece, Helleborus orientalis, sometimes called Lenten Rose, is a perennial plant of the ranunculus family that easily hybridizes with other species to produce hybrids with varied colours and forms. No varieties are named for these hybrids anymore; they are distinguished by their shape and colour. Oriental Hellebore is a hardy plant that can withstand temperatures down to -15°C (5°F). It grows spontaneously in forests, thickets, and clearings up to 2,000 metres (6,562 feet) altitude, usually in humus, on limestone substrates.

The Pink variety slowly forms a compact, leafy clump 40 cm (16in) in all directions. It consists of palmate, slightly toothed, dark green and shiny basal leaves. These are evergreen, 30 to 40 cm (12 to 16in) long and composed of 7 to 9 leaflets. They  only live for 8 months and are regularly replaced by new leaves.

Between January-February and March-April, a bunch of 4 to 6 cm (2in) wide flowers forms in the centre of the foliage. They are pinkish mauve and cup-shaped, inclined downwards, allowing water to slide off like an umbrella to protect the heart of the flower from rotting. Over time, Hellebore flowers do not wither like the majority of other flowers but dry out, taking on lovely faded tones. Hellebores do not like to be moved once established, as young plants take some time to flower. The seeds are sown by ants.

The flowering of hellebores is perhaps one of the most anticipated joys for gardeners, as it accompanies the lengthening days that announce the end of winter. Use them like elements of an old tapestry, mixing them with more brightly coloured woodland plants. They are highlighted when planted near Pieris, euphorbias that will bloom just after them, under conifers (especially on windy sites), surrounded by wood anemones, corydalis (in non-limestone soil), bleeding hearts, hepaticas, violets, or early-flowering spring bulbs (crocuses, early cyclamen, botanical narcissus), and snowdrops. You can also accompany them with ferns and shade-loving irises to create a beautiful contrast a little later in the season. They can be planted in groups near the entrance of the house, in a shaded location, to enjoy their early flowering up close. They are suitable as cut flowers and in borders, edges, or even containers...

Each seed-sown hellebore has a unique in flower colour, so slight colour variations may exist between two plants, which is normal and inevitable. However, if the difference is too significant and detracts from the desired effect, we will refund or replace the affected plant.