Hellebore – Jewels of the Winter & Spring Garden
February 18, 2025 | News
No four-season garden is complete without a few of spring’s first bloomers, the perennial hellebore! Just when you think the gloom of winter will never end, up come hellebore in late winter through late spring.
The absolute ideal setting for hellebores, which are found in their greatest concentration on the
mountains of central and southern Europe is to imitate a woodland floor. Provide them with sheltered, moist, and well-drained soil which are mulched with aged leaf-mold or bark chips.
The intensity of our southern Idaho summer afternoon sun is a bit much for the elegant hellebore, so plant them in your garden where they will only receive morning sun. Another option is to plant them under deciduous trees for a wintery show, followed by shade in summer.
Hellebore are a perfect fit for the alkaline (non-acidic) soil found here in the Treasure valley.
They grow best in moist (not wet) but well-drained soil enriched with generous amounts of
organic matter. Waterwise, once established, (really tough, in fact) hellebore will need some regular watering in their first few seasons in your garden. Low to Average Water Needs. Hellebore don’t like to be watered in the hottest time of day, so water them early morning or late evening.
In the fall hellebore start initiating flowers, so they need extra nutrition at that time, the opposite of
most perennial plants. Use a balanced fertilizer such as Fertilome water soluble food which provides a 20-20-20 balance of the major nutrients as well as micronutrients.
Remove all dried & dead foliage from hybrid hellebores and the deciduous species in late
January. This is done to improve the appearance of the plant. Watch for aphids and
spider mites. Treatment: Fertilome Triple Action Spray containing Neem oil, pyrethrins, and piperonyl butoxide will address issues with either of those pests.
Plan to plant perennial hellebore in your garden this year- early March-April (best selection) or in the fall September-November (good selection available).
Written by Beverly VanEngelen