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Lovely Winter Jewels®Hellebores

Many new double-flowered Lenten roses have been developed by Northwest Garden Nursery in Eugene, OR.

In mid-January, the Portland, Oregon metro area endured a horrid wind, ice, and snowstorm. Temperatures dipped below 15 degrees F and stayed below freezing for 4-5 days. The high winds caused many large Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees to come crashing down, sometimes on homes and cars, power lines snapped, and because of the ice, people could not leave their homes. Fortunately, within a week the weather changed, and temperatures went up into the 60’s. And with the milder weather, the cheerful hellebores (Helleborus x hybridus) have begun to defrost and bloom profusely.

Helleborus Withstand Winter!

Here is a hellebore photo taken in my yard on February 2, 2024 showing one of many flowers that have opened after the ice storm.

When I walked out into my garden during the cold snap, the ground was frozen and plants were covered in ice. The new growth and flower buds on the hellebores were frozen. I knew the plants would survive, but probably not the flowers. I was wrong, and I am glad I was! Just one week later, the Lenten roses looked as though nothing had happened. The new growth was emerging and flower buds are continuing to grow. Below photo taken on February 2, showing one of many flowers that have opened since the storm. Some of the foliage was damaged but new growth is emerging that looks just fine.

My Favorite Winter Jewels®

Sparkling Diamond has white double petals and a chartreuse center. (Photo courtesy of Northwest Garden Nursery)

At one time, most hellebores in home gardens had single purple flowers, and the flowers themselves tended to nod downward. Newer selections are now available in lots of fun colors and the flowers are more upright and showy.

Northwest Garden Nursery in Eugene, Oregon has been one of the leading breeders of hellebores and has even introduced the popular Winter Jewels® Series, which are widely available in northwest garden centers. Many of their new introductions are double-flowered and look nothing like an old-fashioned hellebore, and some of the singles are available in spectacular new colors. Here are some of the prettier new offerings.

The following photos are courtesy of Northwest Garden Nursery.

Black Diamond has a true black flower. Apricot Blush is a lovely new variety for gardens.
Picotee Pearl is a favorite! Amethyst Gem has upward-facing double blooms.
Double Painted has spectacular markings. Fire and Ice is clear white with a red edge.

Helleborus Care

Hellebores like well-drained soil amended with plenty of organic matter. Black Gold Natural & Organic Garden Compost Blend is an ideal soil amendment. The plants like some shade, especially in the summer. An area with morning sun would be ideal. They tend to naturalize and are often planted under shade trees. I think that they look their best when planted in large groupings. For comprehensive Helleborus care instructions, click here.

For those gardeners with limited space, try growing hellebores in containers using Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Mix. Growing hellebores in containers allows gardeners to move the container to an entryway during peak blooming season. Their flowers can provide a very cheery welcome on a winter day.

The photo below shows the wide range of colors that are now available in garden centers. Check out your local garden center now for blooming plants. This is an excellent time to plan, and selecting plants in flower can ensure your choice is the color and style of flower that you want.

Here is a selection of Winter Jewels in the Northwest Garden Nursery test gardens. (Photo courtesy of Northwest Garden Nursery)

I can think of few plants that give gardeners such a variety of early spring colors that hellebores do. They are so easy to grow with minimal care. February is a good month to remove the old leaves, being very careful not to cut any new growth or flower buds. Flowering begins in February, sometimes earlier, and often continues through April.

Hellebores for Late Winter Color

It has been unseasonably cold here in the Pacific Northwest. In Portland, Oregon, we have had temperatures down in the teens, which is not the norm. To make matters worse, we had an extended period when the temperature did not get above freezing. The ground is very dry, which causes additional stress on plants when the ground is frozen. Walking out into my garden this morning, I must say it is looking very bleak. The Eugene area has had some snow, which is a good insulator that offers cold protection for plants, but the Portland area has not had any significant snow. Our ground is bare and dry. Nonetheless, the hellebores are beginning to show themselves.

However, we have many benefits to be living and gardening here, and one is the hellebore (Helleborus spp.), which is a true winter gem. Most are hybrids of the winter-blooming Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger) and later, midwinter- to early spring-blooming Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis). All can withstand the cold, wind and rain and not only survive, but thrive. It is also one plant that I have heard deer will not eat. Hellebores were very popular in the Midwest in the early 1900s, and then their popularity diminished. In the early part of this century, they made a resurgence and have become increasingly popular in Pacific Northwest gardens. Plants are being bred to have stronger stems and an ever-increasing palette of color.

 

The Best Hellebores

Hellebore 'Double Painted'
The glorious hellebore ‘Painted Double’ is one of many outstanding selections in the Winter Jewel™ Series.

Hellebores should be on every gardener’s must-have perennial list. Their most outstanding attribute is that they bloom in winter when most other perennials are sleeping the deep sleep, but their evergreen foliage is also a nice, year-round bonus. When planted in masses, they even make a nice groundcover. Even novice gardeners will find these shade-lovers easy to grow. They’re even deer-resistant.

As I write this column in early December, there are flower buds beginning to show their color on some of my plants. I have seen hellebores even blooming in the snow in January. A particular variety that has been outstanding in my garden, called ‘Jacob Classic’,  is from the Gold Collection®. This is an early bloomer with white flowers that tend to face forward instead of downward, as many Hellebores do. It will begin flowering in January and continue for at least two months. It makes an excellent container plant, especially by an entryway, as the early blossoms provide winter cheer.

Another group of hellebores is the Winter Jewel™ Strain. The flowers in this series provide some apricot, yellow, white, and rose-red bloom colors that are relatively new for hellebores. I have two of these that have performed will in my garden and provide some striking winter color. These are ‘Painted Double’ and ‘Golden Sunrise’. As the name implies,  ‘Painted Double’  has double flowers of white with rose-red speckles that look painted. The cheerful ‘Golden Sunrise’ has ruby-edged single flowers that turn slightly downward to reveal the soft yellow backside of the petals.

Growing Hellebores

Hellebore 'GoldenSunrise'
Ruby edges bring radiant color to the nodding, primrose-yellow flowers of hellebore ‘Golden Sunrise’.

 

Hellebores like to be planted in soil that is rich in compost, such as Black Gold® Garden Compost Blend. They also perform better when given some shade from the hot afternoon sun. Hellebores make excellent plants for under a large tree where they can benefit from the filtered light that falls from between the branches. Once established, they can become a permanent part of the garden and require very little maintenance.

Hellebores aside, many Pacific Northwest gardeners successfully grow plants that are considered marginally winter hardy. With our past relatively mild winters, many have survived with minimal protection. This winter is sure to prove which plants are marginally winter-hardy and which are not. In my garden, I have a Gunnera tinctoria that I consider marginally winter hardy. Luckily, several weeks ago, I mounded the crown with Black Gold Garden Compost Blend, and then on top of that I placed the huge Gunnera leaves that I had removed from the plant. The Gunnera leaves will help keep the conditioner from blowing away in the wind. Hopefully, this method will provide the insulation the plant needs to survive. I have done this in winter’s past, and it has worked.

Hellebore 'Jacob'
Clear white flowers with bright yellow stamens grace hellebore ‘Jacob Classic’ in winter.

With the weather as cold as it’s been, there is not much a gardener can do to protect plants without a protective greenhouse or sunroom, though I always have a few tender plants that I put on a garden cart and take into my unheated garage. (My prediction for this spring is that garden centers will see a surge in sales when spring finally arrives with gardeners buying plants to replace those that couldn’t take the cold.) In the meantime, get into the spirit of this season with a visit to your garden center, and check out the holiday displays, which are certain to include a few choice hellebores.