Hellebores Can Take The Cold

One plant that might be found blooming very early in Spring, even before Skunk Cabbage according to a fellow garden enthusiast from New York State, is known as Hellebore.

Hellebores are so hardy they may even be found blooming in the middle of winter. Now, I haven’t seen it myself, but others report that hellebores can even bloom when it’s snowing out!

Hellebores, of the genus Helleborus, are native to the Far East. They’re members of the Buttercup Family, Ranunculaceae.

Perennial Hellebore Plant With Evergreen Leaves
Perennial Hellebore Plant With Evergreen Leaves

Low-growing palmate leaves overwinter among the leaf litter in this perennial plant. The large basal leaves sustain the plant through winter and help to give the flowers an early start in Spring.

Maroon Hellebore Flowers in Bud
Maroon Hellebore Flowers in Bud

Its blossoms can be missed for they start out life as flower buds with their heads pointing down.

Large sepals hide the colorful petals until the flower finds conditions ready for it to open.

Hellebore Flowers Rise Up on Stalk
Hellebore Flowers Rise Up on Stalk

As the flowering stems grow in height, the flower blossoms turn upward, but only partially. They always have a dangling look to them and often need a helping hand to be seen.

Maroon Hellebore Bloom Gets a Helping Hand
Maroon Hellebore Bloom Gets a Helping Hand

I liked the idea of extending the flowering season by having some hellebore flowers in the garden during a time when nothing else might be blooming.

Hellebore Flowers Growing Taller
Hellebore Flowers Growing Taller

A couple of years ago I planted this maroon-flowering hellebore in a sunny location near some purple coneflowers in a flower bed. The coneflowers are just starting to develop their leaves and have a long way to grow before they flower.

The hellebore isn’t natural to Central Pennsylvania, but it does lend a smile on a cold day in March. 🙂

Hellebore of the Buttercup Family
Hellebore of the Buttercup Family

(Photos taken March 7 to 26, 2016. Click on any small image to see a larger view.)

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