The common name for the Hellebore is the Christmas Rose because it flowers so early. This particular variety is Josef Lemper and was purchased late last year and is shown seeding this May.Family: Ranunculaceae.
Position: Shady, well drained soil. This one's in a corner of the flower bed that only gets light at the end of the day and it seemed to be doing well until after it seeded. I'm hoping it'll perk up soon, if not I'll have to have a re-think as to where it should live.
Flowers: Late Winter/Early Spring. Bought to provide some early flowers and just because I love the look of them.
Dimensions: 25-30cm high & plant 23-26cm apart.
Habit: Evergreen perennial, well behaved. Seed grown plants will flower in 2-3 years.
Care: Leave to it's own devices apart from an occasional top-dressing of compost or well rotted manure.
Pruning: Not required.
Propagation: Division after flowering or by seed as soon as ripe. Or if you're like me, leave it to self-seed and see what happens! Seedlings should appear around the base of the plant, so hopefully won't get mistaken for weeds.
Distribution: Central and Southern Europe (and London E7).
WARNING: The white sap can cause irritation so best to wear gloves when handling.
Key:
Bold/italics = what the books say
Everything else = me waffling on
LxXx
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