Hellebore - Helleborus niger
The much-loved hellebore is one of our earliest flowering plants, giving colour and form to garden borders even in the depths of winter. Despite their delicate appearance they are hardy and frost resistant, with beautifully marked, nodding flower heads and showy evergreen foliage. It’s easy to see why they are a favourite with gardeners.
As a cut flower however, they can be a little temperamental. They don’t like draughts or direct heat and will wilt rapidly if not looked after correctly. They are, what could be described as, a reluctant cut flower.
Commonly known, due to their flowering period, as the Winter or Christmas Rose, there are only 20 species of Helleborus and they are not actually related to the rose family at all, they are a member of Ranunculaceae, which includes buttercups and aconitum, a reminder, that, although beautiful to look at, all parts of the plant are poisonous.
