Lenten Rose

Well, our hellebores (Lenten Rose) are blooming today. These plants are in a group that we call the “harborings of spring”, since they can often be seen blooming in the snow. The Lenten Rose prefers shade and, according to the “experts” naturalize rather nicely in a woodland setting. I am still waiting for this naturalization! My three plants have looked at me for three years with little growth spurt.

The “experts” also state that these plants are deer resistant and are NOT eaten by the hoofed critters. We must have a rare deer species (Odocoileinae eatasmuchlentenroseaspossibli) since I am constantly trying to protect the leaves from being nibbled by our resident deer population. (This could also be the reason that they are not naturalizing- too much energy loss from leaves being eaten!)

The leaves are dark green, leathery, and do not die back in the winter. I consider the flowers to be very happy! Flowers are usually nodding, either bell or cup-shaped. As you can see, they have a very noticeable central boss of stamens, ringed by rounded petaloid sepals. These sepals often persist for several weeks after the stamens are shed.