When should I buy hellebores?

Hellebores flower in winter to early spring and are small plants, easily missed at that time of year. So if you plan to grow some, and they are well worth it, be sure to plant them somewhere where they will be appreciated.

HELLEBORE SUMMARY.

HARDY	(to -20°C)
FLOWERING
FLOWER TIME	Late January to mid March

Beside this, why are hellebores so expensive?

There are a few reasons why hellebores tend to be more expensive than the average perennial :-) First, if grown from seed, it takes several years of growing on before the plant achieves a marketable, blooming size. It is quite possible to purchase hellebores at lower prices.

Similarly, what do hellebores like?

Hellebores are great for adding winter- and early-spring interest to borders. Most like a position in light shade with full sun for part of the day. If you are gardening on dryer soils, choose a position in light shade because this will dry out less. Helleborus argutifolius Helleborus × sternii are best for sun.

What do I feed hellebores?

Hellebores are hungry feeders: they enjoy rich, friable soil and also benefit from being fed after flowering and in autumn. Use blood, fish and bone, or apply powdered chicken manure sold as 6X, or surround with well-rotted manure.

Should I deadhead hellebores?

Attractive foliage and flowers

These tend to be short-lived, but removing of the stems once the flowers fade in spring will encourage new growth.

Is hellebore poisonous to dogs?

The most toxic parts of the plant are the roots, but it's best to keep all parts out of the mouths of dogs and cats. Hellebores, a winter-garden favorite, can cause abdominal pain, colic and depression in both dogs and cats if ingested.

Will hellebores spread?

Hellebores are lovely, easy-care plants that rarely get a disease, but they do not like being crowded. They spread at an almost alarming rate via seed, coating the ground quickly with shiny baby Hellebore sprouts that are a terrible pain to remove.

Should hellebores be cut back after flowering?

When to Prune Hellebores. The best time for pruning a hellebore plant is late winter or early spring, just as soon as the new growth begins to appear. This new growth should come straight up out of the ground as little stalks. These stalks should still be surrounded by a ring of last year's big leaves.

Are hellebores invasive?

Hellebores are wonderful naturalizers. I've seen plantings where they have been allowed to reproduce at will, and over time have taken over shaded back yards. That's not to say hellebores are invasive; those examples have all been forty or fifty-year-old homes.

Where is the best place to plant hellebores?

Hellebores are great for adding winter- and early-spring interest to borders. Most like a position in light shade with full sun for part of the day. If you are gardening on dryer soils, choose a position in light shade because this will dry out less.

Can you keep hellebores in pots?

You can keep it potted until you're ready to put it in the ground outside, or you can keep it potted and enjoy it indoors and out, year round. Hellebore needs rich and well-drained soil, so be sure to choose a pot that drains and use a rich organic potting soil or add compost to existing soil.

Are hellebores poisonous to cats?

Hellebores, a winter-garden favorite, can cause abdominal pain, colic and depression in both dogs and cats if ingested. Numerous members of the lily family, including Asiatic hybrids like those shown here, are highly toxic to cats, resulting in severe kidney damage even if only a small amount is eaten.

Are Hellebores self seeding?

Hellebores will self seed and some of the seedlings will mature into plants. You can also collect seed which will be around May time. The seed is best sown immediately and leave the pots outside to get a cold spell and they may germinate later/the following year.

Are hellebores poisonous to humans?

Hellebore. In common with many of the buttercup family, hellebores also contain protoanemonin in varying amounts according to the species. The roots of all Helleborus are strongly emetic and potentially fatal. In the past, it was sometimes used to cause vomiting after poisoning but this is now known to be harmful.

How long do hellebore flowers last?

With one exception. They make terrible cut flowers. Notorious for drooping, wilting, sulking, and otherwise behaving terribly, many hellebores last less than 24 hours indoors.

Do slugs eat hellebores?

Slugs can eat holes in hellebore leaves. Pick these hellebore plant pests off at night. Alternatively, attract them with bait traps using beer or cornmeal. Vine weevils are also bugs that eat hellebores.

How much do hellebores cost?

Hellebores are notoriously expensive plants, often coming in at the $20-30 mark in most retail garden centres.

How tall do hellebores get?

Hellebore

genus name	Helleborus
plant type	Perennial
height	1 to 3 feet 3 to 8 feet
width	1-3 feet wide
flower color	Green White Pink

How do you look after hellebores in pots?

Growing hellebores in containers

Use a good quality compost, preferably loam- based, such as John Innes No 2 with extra grit for drainage. Stand the container on pot feet. They are hungry plants and will need regular watering and feeding, with a high potash fertiliser such as Chempak No 4, in summer.