Helleborus 'VALENTINE DARLING' hellebore, Lenten rose
size/type
low perennial,low perennial
usual height
0,1-0,2m
usual width
0,3-0,5m
leaves
evergreen broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
February-April
location
semi-shade / partial sun
soil type
neutral to alkaline
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist (dislikes drought)
USDA zone (lowest)
5 (down to -29°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Hellebore (Lenten rose) is not a new plant to Czech and Slovak gardens. I remember those flowering stems that surprisingly pushed through the snow in late winter and I kept asking grandma how come that a plant can flower while there is still snow on the ground. These evergreen perennials are still very popular, mainly thanks to newly hybridized varieties with fantastic flowers.
Description of the plant:
Valentine Darling is a white flowering black hellebore hybrid from the Darling series which so far comprises of 4 varieties, each of which bears a name that says it all: Christmas Darling, Winter Darling, Little Daring, and now Valentine Darling. Needless to say, it reliably starts blooming before Valentine’s Day if the weather allows. The single, anemone-like flowers are pure white, 4-5 cm across, head-up (not nodding) with yellow stamens. They can bloom or remain pretty until April.Stems are rather short, about 20 cm tall. Evergreen leaves are leathery, deep green, and palmately divided into conspicuously narrow leaflets with serrated margins. They may be exhausted at the end of the growing season and if unsightly, you can remove them before flowering to enhance the flowering display. In spring new foliage will emerge. Valentine Darling forms a compact and very dense clump with many flowering stems.
Hellebore likes heavy, evenly moist, neutral to alkaline, rich in humus soil in dappled shade or filtered sun. This hybrid will prefer at least half a day with direct sunlight. Fertilizing will increase flowering and help the leaves remain strong and nice throughout the winter. Grow it somewhere near your house entrance or close to the window you look out of frequently so that you can enjoy the plant when it starts flowering since at that time the weather outside is not yet ideal for walking around the garden. The flowers can cheer up a number of grey and dull days of late winter therefore thumbs up for hellebore! Harmful if eaten. Hardy to about -29°C (USDA zone 5).
Last update 14-03-2023
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