Stinking Hellebore Plant Profile

Stinking Hellebore Plant Profile

Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) is a perennial plant that is native to the mountains of Europe and south-west Asia.

Despite the common name, the flowers don’t smell bad at all. In fact, to notice the “stink” you will have to actually crush the foliage and take a whiff of that. So don’t let that scary name keep you from growing it.

This tough plant has beautiful, finely cut leaves and bright-green flowers. They bloom in late winter and early spring.

It is very low-maintenance. In mid-spring, you can prune off any spent flowers as well as any old, tattered foliage. The plants spread fairly quickly and form large clumps that can be divided every few years. Plant the divisions immediately and water them in well to give them a good start.

Stinking Hellebore thrives in part-shade and rich, well-draining soils. It is hardy to USDA zones 6 through 9. They are fairly drought-tolerant once established. Like its Hellebore cousins, it is poisonous if ingested and therefore deer-resistant.

Stinking Hellebore: You Can Grow That!

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.

Video and editing by Jessica Harden

Audio and text by Kathy Jentz

➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE

~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com

~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener

~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/

~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

~ Podcast: GardenDC

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

GardenDC Podcast Episode 42: Hellebores with Barry Glick

This episode we talk with Barry Glick of Sunshine Farm and Gardens about Hellebores, as well native plant seed collection and propagation. The plant profile is on Smooth Hydrangea and I share an update on my National #SeedSwapDay project.

See more about Hellebores here:
 https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2018/03/plant-profile-hellobores.html

BTW, YOU can become a listener supporter for as little as $0.99 per month!
See how at: https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/support. 

The episode is posted at: 
https://anchor.fm/gardendc/episodes/Episode-42-Hellebores-with-Barry-Glick-ep046k

The GardenDC podcast is also available on -

• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gardendc/id1502631179
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5AsWArNpQo8OlzHoMDMSI8
• RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/gardendc-G2ql5V
• iHeartRADIO: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-gardendc-73615877/
  
• aCast: https://play.acast.com/s/gardendc
  
• Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/776561ca-75d6-4c63-833b-7dafedf57a72/GardenDC
• Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/GardenDC-Podcast/B08JJNZBMX
• Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/gardendc
• Castbox: https://castbox.fm/channel/GardenDC-id2691161?country=us
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/gardendc/
• Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/2629285
• PocketCasts: https://pca.st/9phvd8bk
• Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/gardendc-1137444
• Overcast: https://overcast.fm/itunes1502631179/gardendc
• TuneIn: http://tun.in/pj7Sb
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/washingtongardenermagazine
• Google Podcasts at this link (note that currently, this link will only work on Android devices.)

We welcome your questions and comments! You can leave a voice mail message for us at: https://anchor.fm/kathy-jentz/message Note that we may use these messages on a future episode.

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Plant Profile: Hellobores

The Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis) blooms in late winter into early spring. It is a tough plant that is drought-tolerant, thrives in shade, and is deer-resistant. If it is happy in a spot, it will soon form a nice colony to become a virtual ground cover. The large leaves are evergreen and resemble our native Mayapples.

The Hellebore flower is stunning and the latest breeding introductions are spectacular. My friend, Barry Glick, the self-proclaimed Hellebore King, grows amazing hybrids. Among them are beautiful doubles and picotees that I covet.

These are very low-maintenance plants. In mid-winter, I gently remove any fallen leaves from around the Hellebores to be able to enjoy the blooms when they start to emerge in the bleakest months of the year.

The only other attention they ever need is to cut back the old, tattered foliage in early spring, if it bothers you.

The Hellebore is a popular cut flower in Europe. The flowers on this hardy plant are lovely floated in a bowl of water. I have had them last that way for over a month indoors. It is so nice to be able to enjoy them inside, when bad weather prevents you from going out into the garden.

The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine and edited by intern Allison O'Reilly.

➤ If you enjoy this video please give it a thumbs up and subscribe (thank you!)

➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out

➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE
~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com
~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener
~ facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine

PIN THIS FOR LATER!

Christmas Roses for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

On the Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day as Christmas approaches, the Christmas Roses aka Hellebores (Helleborus niger) are coming up right on time here in my Zone 7 garden on the DC-MD border. Here is a photo:

In addition to the Hellebores, I have PJM Phododendron and pansies going strong outside. Inside I have an assortment of typical holiday plants -- Paperwhites, Poinsettia, etc. along with a few violets and geraniums hanging on in bloom.

What is blooming in YOUR garden now?