Hearty, Handsome Hellebores for Northern California

This cool-season staple can brighten up your late winter garden

Hellebores ( Helleborusspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–9 ) are a varied group of refinement - loving perennials admire by the Northern Californian nurseryman for their mounding growth habit , attractive foliage , and olympian resistor to cervid , rabbits , and snails ( though they do make a slap-up concealment blank space for those ugly pests ) . evergreen plant and drought - broad , they also stick out a wide range of temperatures and dirt types . But their blooming period — when very little else is brightening up the garden — and their noteworthy bloom are trait for which they are truly cherished . Hellebores flush in cornucopia from winter to spring . They have cuplike , nod flowers — range from single to double up — that are hold aloft on the tips of sturdy stems either correct in the midst of the bushy foliation or a little above it . They also come in an telling range of colors , from snow white-hot to slate sinister and almost everything in between . Some of the newer hybrid even gambol gorgeous magnetic declination in the form of spotting , veining , splattering , or butt in contrasting hues . As adorable as they are in the garden , hellebores also make excellent slash efflorescence and are intrigue additions to wintertime bouquets .

Though one species acclaim from China , most false hellebore are native to the craggy woodlands , meadows , and scrubland of the Balkans or the ironic , rocky limestone islands of the Mediterranean in Europe . Sadly , though all part of hellebore are toxic , the industrial plant was used medicinally until the eighteenth century to treat melancholy , insanity , stomach derangement , and worms . Needless to say , these treatments were not effective . These plants should never be consumed !

Though it ’s hard to contract down my lean of favorites , the following five false hellebore are my current choices for must - haves in a Northern Californian shade garden .

‘Red Sapphire’ hellebore

Helleborus ‘ Red Sapphire ’ , zone 4–9Size:16 to 20 inch grandiloquent and 24 inches wideBlooms : Late wintertime to rebound

‘ Red Sapphire ’ is just one sensational strain of hellebore crossbreed and develop by Marietta O’Byrne of Eugene , Oregon . Ruby - hue and finely gem - like , the beautifully organize peak of this cultivar are composed of two concentric rows of burgundy - edge , wine crimson petals that surround a fundamental cluster of butter yellow stamens . The blooms are highlighted by the contrast cryptic - green leafage below . ‘ Red Sapphire ’ is long - lived , long - bloom , increases in bloom product with each passing year , and should be grown where the downward - look flower can be admired from below — in a tall container , on a mound or a rise , or at the top of a flying of steps .

‘Molly’s White’ hellebore

genus Helleborus × iburgensis‘Molly ’s White ’ , zone 4–9Size:12 to 24 inches magniloquent and 24 inches wideBlooms : belated winter through outflow

Slightly serrated and silver - etched leaves grace this long - lived perennial all year long . This foliage makes the perfect backdrop for a late winter presentation of outbound - facing , 2 - in - spacious single bloodless blooms . The creamy white color of the prime is offset with yellowish green . Lower farm than some quondam hellebore hybrid , ‘ Molly ’s White ’ is also longer- and afterwards - blossom than most . This hellebore look lovely combined with other nuance lovers in a motley perennial border and is the stark selection for domesticate in a timber stage setting .

‘Cotton Candy’ hellebore

Helleborus‘Cotton confect ’ , district 4–9Size:18 to 22 inches tall and 24 inches wideBlooms : Late winter to spring

Large and fluffy , the pink blooms of ‘ Cotton Candy ’ are charming ; each pale pink petal is edged in a rosier pink , then slyly stage in a double course around a central cluster of pale yellowed stamens . Measuring almost 3 inch across , each flower is hold on sturdy , upright stems above lustrous leaf . They put on a long and colorful display from late winter to former spring . This cultivar is another remarkable crossbreeding by Marietta O’Byrne of Eugene . It ’s a long - survive wintertime jewel , rewarding you every fall yr with an growth in both plant size and bloom numeration .

‘Pink Marble’ hellebore

Helleborus ×lividus‘Pink Marble ’ , zone 7–9Size:6 to 18 inches tall and 19 inches wideBlooms : recent winter to early leaping

The pink - blushed leafage of this vigorous cultivar is arresting in its own right wing , with a heavyset hill of leathery and marble blue - unripened leave adding year - round interest to any shady blot in your garden . But it is particularly delicious in wintertime when abundant 2 - inch blossom — carry on bass pink stalk — emerge in tones of mauve , pinkish , cream , and gullible . They eventually age to an challenging creamy yellowish green blushed with pink . Long - lasting in the garden and vase , ‘ pinkish Marble ’ supply unusual hues to your wintertime bouquet ’s colour palette .

‘Sparkling Diamond’ hellebore

Helleborus‘Sparkling Diamond ’ , partition 4–9Size:18 to 22 inches tall and 24 inch wideBlooms : Late wintertime to spring

‘ Sparkling Diamond ’ is a true winter gem . bloom are snowy snowy , to the full double , and totally stunning — plus they flower for six whole weeks ! The mysterious green background of leathery leafage makes the consummate contrast to the impressive and sparkling white bloom and remain a year - longsighted presence in the garden . ‘ Sparkling Diamond ’ is a peculiarly sporty example of Marietta O’Byrne ’s spectacular crossing and looks great edging a shady pathway or planted in combination with other shade - enjoy perennials .

In Northern California , hellebores are well-chosen with morning sunshine , follow by dappled or even full shade to protect them from the summertime sun ’s spicy rays . Grow in copious , well - improve grime ( add organic compost at planting time ) that drains well and is slightly alkaline . Irrigate on a regular basis until established . Many change of hellebore are quite drought - broad at maturity date establish enough shade but persist healthiest and most attractive when receiving at least a little regular moisture during the siccative calendar month . Though they ’re quite broad of negligence , hellebores respond well to the wide-eyed of maintenance job : Be sure to clip spend flowering stems down to the ground to advertize new foliage growth and to divide them in late summer to early fall when they lead off to appear to be suffering from overcrowding . Protect them from cold wintertime winding , and for optimum solution be certain to give your plants an annual side dressing with rich compost . Relatively trouble - free , they may become prey to aphids , which can be easily squashed by hand or pink down with a straightaway jet from the garden hose .

— Fionuala Campion is the owner and manager of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma in Petaluma , California .

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Helleborus x hybridus

In Northern California, hellebores (Helleborus x hybridus, Zones 4–9, pictured) ring in the growing season by blooming at the very end of winter.Photo: Steve Aitken

Hellebore ‘red sapphire’