Consulta Plantas

Care of the rhizomatous plant Helleborus orientalis or Lenten rose

The genus Helleborus, family Ranunculaceae, comprises 20 species of perennial herbaceous plants native to southern Europe and the Middle East. Some species are: Helleborus orientalis, Helleborus niger, Helleborus foetidus, Helleborus lividus, Helleborus odorus, Helleborus viridis, Helleborus purpurascens.

Common names: Lenten rose, Hellebore or Christmas Rose. This species is native to Greece and Turkey

They are herbaceous rhizomatous plants with tussock bearing that reach 35 cm (13.77") in height. They have pedado-split leaves with serrated margin leaflets. The attractive hanging flowers appear on erect stems and are pink with reddish mottling. They bloom in late winter and early spring.

They are used in shady rockeries, in the shade of trees, in mixed borders and in pots for terraces, balconies and terraces. They are poisonous plants by ingestion.

Helleborus orientalis needs shade exposure, high humidity, and a temperate climate. They have good resistance to cold.

The soil can be a mixture of garden soil with 1/3 peat and abundant humus. The transplant is done in autumn or late winter.

These plants need frequent watering because they need the substrate to be always moist.

Fertilize with manure in autumn and with mineral fertilizer every 15 days during flowering.

Prune dry leaves during winter.

They resist pests quite well but not drought.

They are propagated by division of the bush at the end of winter and from seeds sown in autumn (wait 1 year to transplant them).

Images of the rhizomatous plant Helleborus orientalis or Lenten rose