Helleborus | Plant Profile

The spectacular winter flowering Helleborus varieties is one of the few plants that bloom from late autumn all through winter. These easy to grow perennials offer an array of colours such as of green, white, pink or ruby plus outstanding forms to make your winter borders and containers a thing of real beauty.

With a variety of stunning colours and a dainty display Helleborus is a fantastic plant to welcome in the new year. They are a traditional, long flowering addition to a winter garden thriving in shady placements and with an elegant and attractive feel. 

Helleborus Varieties

Here are some of our best loved winter hellebore varieties grown on our nurseries in Hampshire for you to try in your own garden.

Helleborus niger HGC ‘Wintergold’

A robust, low growing variety that produces striking upward facing white flowers with many slightly pointed petals from late November. The white blooms are contrasted against the dark green foliage. It makes an excellent cut flower as well as a superb winter perennial. This is an ideal plant for pollinators due to its sought after nectar and the HGC Wintergold has pure white flowers with gold centres that are brilliant at attracting the early bees.

Helleborus x ericsmithii HGC ‘Shooting Star’

Produces incredible mounds of creamy white flowers with pink reverses and red stems with rich green foliage. A good choice if you suffer from deer nibbling in your garden. Featuring leathery deep green leaves and curved pink-green flowers, ‘HGC Shooting Star’ is a brilliant winter addition to a border and will offer great interest and thrive in your garden from November to April.

Helleborus x ericsmithii HGC ‘Monte Cristo’

This is a hardy, evergreen, well proportioned perennial with blue-grey leaves. It is a heavy bloomer of creamy white flowers blushed peachy pink produced from late autumn. Not only does Helleborus ericsmithii HGC Monte Cristo produce beautiful flowers, but the red stems that they are borne upon add to the interest of the plant. A great choice for darker borders, winter, spring and woodland gardens or in containers.

Helleborus ballardiae ‘HGC Cinnamon Snow’

This evergreen Helleborus looks great when planted beneath roses and provides great colour from winter to spring. The dark green foliage is a fantastic backdrop to showcase the delicate, curved flowers.

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘HGC Frosty’

Ideal to brighten up borders, ‘HGC Frosty’ is a clump-forming perennial with white flowers and a vivid yellow centre. Plant in a sheltered location, away from strong winds and direct sunlight. 

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘HGC Marlon’

This Helleborus variety adds subtly coloured accents to an evergreen border or can feature alone in a container where its long flowering period can be enjoyed. 

Helleborus x ericsmithii ‘HGC Shooting Star’

Featuring leathery deep-green leaves and curved pink-green flowers, ‘HGC Shooting Star’ is a brilliant winter addition to a border and will offer great interest from November to April.

Helleborus HGC Ice N’ Roses Dark Picotee

With an interesting and unique appearance, Dark Picotee is a beautiful and subtle addition to a winter garden. With petals that bleed pink from their edges into a cream and yellow centre, they are brilliant for container planting.

Helleborus HGC Ice N’ Roses Early Red

The ideal plant for a terrace garden, Helleborus HGC Ice N’ Roses Early Red, is a fantastic, vibrant, and colourful flowering option. In stunning purple, it really stands out and will appear for a great portion of the year.

Helleborus HGC Ice N’ Roses Early Rose

Great to add a touch of colour to a balcony, this Helleborus variety works well in numerous planting and weather situations. Early Rose has a pretty and subtle pink colour that matures to a darker pink for a different focal point. 

Helleborus HGC Ice N’ Roses Picotee

With its unusual appearance and colourful flowers, Picotee is a must-have, low-maintenance plant that looks fabulous until early spring. With care and attention, this Helleborus can continue to flower each year.

Helleborus HGC Ice N’ Roses Red

With vivid and bright red flowers that are highlighted by deep-green leaves, Helleborus HGC Ice N’ Roses Red boasts a wonderfully long flowering period, making it great for cottage gardens.

Helleborus HGC Ice N’ Roses Rosalie

The lovely, showy flowers of Rosalie are available in a range of beautiful colours, and they are great, low-maintenance additions to the garden. Ensure that you move the plant into a shadier spot during extremely hot weather.

Helleborus HGC Ice N’ Roses White

This clump-forming perennial features stark white flowers that display a vibrant lime green and yellow centre. The large, curved blooms make them a great feature for container planting.

Helleborus niger ‘Advent Star‘

Helleborus niger ‘Advent Star’ is a striking variety of ‘Christmas Rose’. It has deep green, glossy foliage, which provides the perfect foil for the pure white flowers with yellow centres which are produced from early December through the late winter. Discover Helleborus niger ‘Advent Star’.

Helleborus Growing Guide

Planting

Helleborus varieties are generally best grown in a partially shaded spot. Helleborus hybrid varieties, however, will grow in full sun as well as part or dappled shade. Plant Helleborus during flowering, usually from autumn through spring. Avoid planting when it’s dry in the summertime.

Watering

Water thoroughly before and after planting and regularly in the first season. Hellebores do not do well in overly dry conditions, so be sure to water regularly – particularly if they are in a spot that will dry out.

Pruning

All hellebores are evergreen. Simply remove any tatty foliage or faded flowers as you spot it to keep them looking at their best.

Complementary Planting Ideas

A striking winter duo for creating dots of flowering colour in your garden is in combination with Cyclamen coum.

Pairing winter-flowering hellebores with evergreens is always a good option to ensure that they are all looking good throughout winter – e.g. with Euonymus, Cowslips and ornamental grasses.

For a combination that will bring low and high-level winter interest that will continue into spring, plant winter-flowering hellebores below and around trees with brilliant winter bark colour or texture. Acers are ideal, such as Acer palmatum ‘Sango Kaku’ or Acer palmatum ‘Bi-Hoo’. Plant your spring-flowering bulbs here too, like Narcissus ‘Tête-á-Tête’ or Galanthus ‘Nivalis’, for an area of garden that will herald the new season.

Helleborus also works well with Heuchera for a visual and impactful display of ornamental foliage.

Fact

Where you see the HGC symbol in the variety name of a hellebore, this indicates it is part of the Helleborus Gold Collection ®. Only varieties that meet the highest breeding standards are admitted.

Be aware that Hellebores are toxic and can cause severe discomfort if ingested.

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Helleborus ‘Ice N Roses White’ 3L

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Helleborus ballardiae ‘Cinnamon Snow’ 3L

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Helleborus ‘Ice N Roses Rosalie’ 3L

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