Helleborus x ballardiae ('Coseh810') HGC Merlin® hellebore, Lenten rose
size/type
low or groundcovering,low or groundcovering
usual height
0,1-0,2m
usual width
0,3-0,4m
leaves
evergreen broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
December-March
location
semi-shade to shade
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. German nursery Heuger has been breeding Lenten roses since 1950’s. No wonder they are considered to be the top producers of these beautiful plants in Europe. Their Helleborus Gold Collection® (HGC) is a trade mark for the best inventions in the field of hybrid hellebores.
Description of the plant:
Merlin® hellebore needs no or very limited glorification in order to attract your attention. It receives it deservedly the very moment the flowers open. They are medium large, purple pink to cranberry red with many yellow stamens in the centre, and are borne atop 15-20 cm tall, deep wine red stems. In warm winters flowering begins around mid to late December, and continues for about 3 months, in cold winters from early March. Evergreen leaves are leathery, palmate, deep green, and conspicuously veined or marbled.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 -27°C (USDA zone 5).
Last update 14-12-2015
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