GROWING HELLEBORUS

 FROM SEED is EASY

 the Secret is to use FRESH SEED and let Nature take its course, you don’t need a greenhouse or lights or any special

equipment, just fresh seed and patience.

Few plants have grown so rapidly in popularity as the hellebore, and few offer more to gardeners: year round interest, low maintenance, resistance to pests, and best of all, finding blooms in your garden in the dark days of January and February, when you fear spring will never come. Helleborus x hybridus or the Lenten Rose was recognized by the Perennial Plant Association as  the 2005 Plant of the Year and it’s reputation is well deserved.  What was once regarded as an exotic plant is now widely available although the range of quality and price is vast and buyers needs beware.

Lack of availability of fresh seed in the US has given these plants an undeserved “difficult” reputation.  They are easily grown from fresh seed and seedlings require no special care

Hellebore seed is classified as “ephemeral”, meaning lasting a very short time, and must be planted quickly for successful germination.  Some growers have  luck with dried seed but germination may take as long as 3 years, which extends the wait for blooms to 6 years. 

Being hybrids, a single seed pod will produce a variety of colors and shapes, especially if open-pollinated.  The results are slightly more controllable with hand crosses where pollen from a selected plant is brought  to another.  If a plant is “selfed” it is crossed with it’s own pollen and offspring will generally be similar.

However, if you simply must have a cup shaped yellow with red spots you have two choices.  Troll thru nurseries and garden centers, select a plant in bloom that meets your requirements and pay a premium for immediate gratification.  Or be patient, plant seed from a good quality yellow parent, and enjoy the suspense knowing that you’ll end up with a beautiful plant regardless.