Resistant to disease, drought and frost, as well as evergreen foliage, early/winter flowering and hardiness. This is exactly the “reputation” that hellebore has earned, planting and caring for which does not require special effort. The crop is propagated by seeds, since after dividing the bush there is a risk that it will stop blooming. The herbaceous plant is planted in mid-spring or early autumn, immediately after collecting the seeds. Nevertheless, in order to take full advantage of the decorative properties of hellebore, it is important to take into account some features of its cultivation.
IN favorable conditions The winter flower blooms buds in the middle of winter (November or January) or in early March. This extravaganza of colors continues until the end of June.
Hellebore: planting and care with income in mind
In nature, there are only 14 species of this representative of the Buttercup family. However, breeders have already developed dozens of hybrid varieties. The color of the petals of each of them varies from dark black and purple to red and light green. Such decorative properties flowers encourage many to grow hellebore in the garden. IN gray everyday life In winter, such beauty will become an oasis of paradise.
Since it is difficult for a winter hut to tolerate transplants, it is recommended to immediately choose a permanent place for it. In the wild, it grows on mountain slopes and in shady gorges. Therefore, it is often planted under big trees(apple trees) or fences.
Although there are no special requirements for the composition of the soil for buttercups, it is still better to plant them on neutral types of soil. If the soil acidity is less than 6 pH, then add a little limestone or ash.
It is worth knowing that the winter garden grows well in:
- shadows;
- loose and nutritious substrates;
- deciduous humus;
- well-drained soil.
In waterlogged soil root system the flower begins to hurt. For this reason, the crop must be protected from stagnant moisture. At the same time, you should not allow the soil to dry out more than 15 cm. If you plant herbaceous plants in small groups, then in their dense thickets long time there will be moisture. In addition, this planting looks very decorative. Having chosen a suitable site for his garden, the gardener will want to know when and how to plant hellebores in his dacha.
There are flowering and groundcover varieties of Helleborus. The height of many adult plants can reach from 20 to 50 cm. This feature of the flower is often used in landscape design to create compositions.
Hellebore planting geometry: bush dividing method
In April or September, the gardener plows the area for his front garden. If he wants to get a variety identical to the mother plant, then hellebore propagation is carried out by dividing the bush. Since some varieties cannot withstand transplantation, it is better to first become familiar with their characteristics.
Agronomists say that it is better to make a hole 2 times larger than the root system.
The width, length and depth of the hole should be the same, so they are 25-30 cm. In addition, 30 cm is left between the bushes.
To properly plant hellebores in the spring, as experts advise, you need to perform 7 steps:
- dig up a perennial bush;
- wash its rhizome;
- divide into several divisions, making an incision between the growth points (leave more than 3 on each);
- fill the hole halfway with humus or turf;
- place the seedling on the bottom and carefully straighten the roots so that there are no bends;
- fill the hole with loose soil mixture, compacting each layer, trying not to bury the root collar;
- Water the planting generously.
Farmers have noticed that for dividing the bush it is better to choose 3-year-old specimens. Since their roots are dense and elastic, and therefore less vulnerable, they take root more successfully in a new place.
However, at this stage the procedure for planting hellebores and caring for them does not end. Now the seedling is watered for 10-20 days (in the evening) so that it takes root. However, it is important to be careful not to overdo it, otherwise it will start to rot. If it rains, you shouldn't do this. As soon as the specimen gets stronger, it is cared for so that the soil is only slightly moist. Under such conditions, a crop can grow in one place for 10 to 15 years.
Sowing hellebore seeds: a long way from seedlings to open ground
Still, it is best to propagate hellebore with seeds that are not fully ripe. They are collected in the fall, in September. Some people have to buy planting material in the store. Then it is important to pay attention to the packaging date. The seeds of the crop lose their viability literally after six months. Now that everything you need is in place, you can start gardening.
At the dacha plot they are preparing shady place With fertile soil and dig it up thoroughly. To ensure that hellebore sprouts from seeds as quickly as possible, the soil is fertilized with mineral complexes. In the future, bone meal can be added every 3 months. It is recommended to deepen the seeds by 1 cm, simply sprinkling them with soil.
Sometimes planting a flower is done in a completely different way:
- after collection, the seeds are immediately sown for seedlings in a container with humus soil;
- funnels are made up to 1.5 cm deep in increments of 5 cm;
- send a container to the garden for hellebore Christmas rose;
- when 2 full leaves appear (this will happen next spring in March), they are dropped into the garden bed or taken into the house and cared for there;
- after 3 years (in September), these strengthened seedlings are transferred to a permanent (shady) place in the garden;
- The flowerbed is covered with mulch so that the roots are not exposed.
In winter or spring, this seedling should put out buds just as the hellebore blooms. But most often this happens in the 4th or 5th year, because the growth period for Helleborus ( Latin name) very long.
In addition, seedlings can be grown a little differently. The seeds are sown very densely in a box with soil mixture. When the sprouts reach 2-3 cm, they are transplanted into pots using a toothpick. After a couple of years, the seedling is transferred to open ground.
Hellebore care or a drop of water
Like all plants, the winter garden needs life-giving moisture. A special feature of caring for hellebore flowers is watering. In areas where there is a lot of snow, artificial irrigation is not practiced. The amount of melt water will be quite enough for him. At the same time, it may seem that the fleshy foliage of a herbaceous plant is designed to collect liquid. However, this is not entirely true. Due to very hot weather, moisture evaporates very quickly and they are in dire need of water. Therefore, up to 1 liter of water is added to each bush.
You can create a gorgeous composition from helleborus. They can be placed in the background, since they will bloom first, and crocuses or tulips can be planted in front. In such company, all these flowers look very impressive.
Having become familiar with the peculiarities of planting hellebores and caring for them, every gardener has the right to decide what to do. To propagate the crop as quickly as possible, it is better to choose dividing the bush. In this case, you can get a pure variety from the mother specimen. A longer method is to grow by seeds. They are sown as seedlings immediately after harvest. They pick up in the spring, and after 3 years they move to a permanent place. However, in any business you always need to observe your landing and experiment. This is the only way to achieve success.
Garden perennial hellebore - video
Hellebore - amazing beauty a plant that was popular back in the Middle Ages: it was believed that hellebore protected against witchcraft, the evil eye and evil spirits, which is why it was planted near the entrance to a house or yard. Today, of course, he is valued for completely different qualities. We will talk about them, as well as the secrets of growing hellebores and caring for hellebores, in this article.
Hellebore description
The height of hellebore grass reaches from 20 to 50 cm. It has a short and thick rhizome, a simple, weakly branched stem. The leaves are basal, leathery, long-petiolate, palmate or stop-shaped. Cup-shaped flowers on a long stalk appear at the top of the stem from late winter to late June. What we take to be flower petals are actually sepals, and the petals have transformed into nectaries.
The color range of hellebore includes several shades white, pink, soft yellow, violet, magenta, ink color, there are two-color varieties. The shape of the flowers can be simple or double. The early flowering of hellebore makes it a long-awaited and favorite plant for all gardeners, who, after a long, colorless winter, enjoy watching hyacinths, muscari, crocuses, spring flowers, scillas and, of course, hellebores appear on the site. Except early flowering Hellebore has such advantages as high winter hardiness and drought resistance. But for those who want to grow hellebore in the garden, there is one warning: like all buttercups, it is extremely poisonous!
Types of description of hellebore
The most beautiful natural views They have long and firmly entered into culture; numerous hybrids have been created on their basis.
- Black hellebore ( Helleborus niger) named for the color of the rhizome. And its flower is bright white, speckled, which can turn pink with age. There are varieties with initially pink flowers. This particular species is called the “Christmas star,” which, according to legend, was given as a gift to the baby Jesus. Grown in the southern temperate zone.
- Hellebore (Helleborus orientalis) is the most widely planted plant. The original plant is cream-colored with streaks on the petals; there are varieties of all colors. Tolerates harsh winters and dry summer conditions. It is grown where there is no permafrost.
- Caucasian hellebore (Helleborus caucasicus) is the most inconspicuous of the hellebores, but also the most poisonous. Its large shiny leaves are attractive, not susceptible to damage due to their rigidity and internal staff. Most widely used in medical purposes. Raw materials are prepared: rhizomes are dug up, cleaned, dried without access to direct sunlight. As needed, decoctions, infusions, and hellebore tinctures are prepared on its basis for the external treatment of joints and skin problems.
- Stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus) has bright green mottled flowers, paler than the rich foliage. Strong smell not everyone will like it.
Place for planting hellebore
When choosing a place for Helleborus in open ground, you should first of all take into account its flowering period. Hellebore – shade-loving plant avoiding direct sunlight. Therefore, the perennial, like any other primrose, will need sufficient lighting, for example, under deciduous trees. In addition, fallen leaves will serve the hellebore as natural mulch and fertilizer. In such favorable conditions, the helleborus bush grows quickly, forming large clumps with a large number stems and peduncles.
As for the soil, fertile soil rich in humus and rotted leaves is preferable. It is desirable that the soil is light, loose and not compacted. If the soil is acidic, it must be limed; hellebore prefers soil with a neutral environment. Wet soils are also not suitable for planting.
Considering the long period of life of a plant in one place and the undesirability frequent transfers, the choice of location must be approached responsibly and rationally.
Hellebore propagation
Hellebores are propagated both by sowing seeds and by dividing old bushes. General recommendations are as follows: seeds need to be sown for seedlings immediately after they are collected (they do not retain germination well), in loose, moist humus soil, planting them to a depth of about 1.5 cm. Helleborus shoots will appear in March next year, and the seedlings will bloom only 3 years later.
Slightly grown seedlings, which have already acquired a couple of true leaves, we dive into a semi-shaded place (for example, I dive into a flowerbed under a large spreading apple tree, the crown of which is not very thick). Grown hellebores can be planted in a permanent place only after 2-3 years; it is advisable to transplant them in September.
If you want to propagate hellebore by dividing the bushes (and this is how it propagates very easily), in the spring, as soon as it has finished blooming, simply divide its root into several parts and plant it in pre-prepared holes.
How to care for hellebore
Hellebore is unpretentious flower, caring for which does not cause trouble. The plant is quite frost-resistant, so it does not require shelter. The only thing that hellebore does not like is stagnation of water in the soil.
Fertilizing has a good effect on the plant, flowering becomes more luxuriant and longer. As for fertilizers, it is better to give preference to organic matter, which is applied in the spring. It is useful to mulch the soil around the flower with litter.
In autumn, hellebores should be carefully inspected for damage. All old and diseased leaves should be removed, which will prevent the spread of diseases.
Hellebore pests and diseases
Sometimes it happens that hellebores are attacked by pests:
- slugs
- snails
Aphids can be treated with any insecticidal preparation, and slugs and snails can be collected and removed from plants. If the summer is damp and warm, then brown spots appear on the leaves, increasing in size daily. This means that the plant is infected with a fungus. To stop the disease, the above-ground affected parts are cut out at the root. Then the plantings are treated with a solution of any systemic fungicide.
If spots appear on hellebore leaves, spray with special preparations. Use fungicidal agents "Oxychom" or "Topaz". If the soil is too acidic, black spots appear on the winter leaves. To treat a flower, add lime to the soil and remove damaged leaves. If a plant is affected by non-infectious diseases, this indicates either an increased level of soil acidity, or excessive quantity moisture, or improper nutrition of hellebore.
How to collect hellebore seeds
After the plant has flowered, you need to collect the seeds to avoid self-sowing. The seeds begin to ripen from the end of June, the process continues throughout the summer. Hellebore pods burst easily and the seeds spill out onto the ground. To prevent this from happening, you need to tie a thin cloth around the still unripe boxes. When the seeds fall onto the fabric, they need to be dried at room temperature. It is better to store seeds in a paper bag.
Hellebore seeds quickly lose their viability, so it is better to sow them in the ground immediately. Long term storage leads to loss of quality.
Among the perennial herbaceous plants, the hellebore flower Helleborus (or helleborus, helleborus, winter grass) occupies special place, because it belongs to the category winter flowers. It’s not for nothing that the second name of the flower is Christmas rose. The Mediterranean is considered its homeland, and helleborus gained popularity thanks to its medicinal properties. With its help they fought gout, various kinds paralysis, epilepsy, skin, gynecological diseases; currently, hellebore herb is widely used for weight loss.
Despite all its attractiveness, the flower is poisonous. Taking it like medicinal product, you should strictly calculate the dosage and be sure to obtain individual recommendations from your doctor.
Decorative hellebore, being evergreen, is able to decorate a shady area of the garden or flower bed without losing its eternal beauty even under the snow.
There are several known natural and selection (hybrid) ones. The flower has no stem; large, hard, palmate-shaped leaves emerge directly from the rosette on long, rigid cuttings.
The flowers of hellebore are large and can reach a diameter of 5 cm. The varied colors of its petals, from white-cream to pale red, look simply fabulous against the background of the melted snow cover.
Where is the best place to plant hellebore? Choosing a planting site
- Just ideal place for the growth of hellebore in a summer cottage there will be one that provides light shade. Thanks to the partial shade the plant for a long time will delight with its flowering, a larger and more saturated leaf blade will be formed.
- Direct exposure to sunlight, especially at midday, will speed up the growing season, which will lead to rapid wilting of the flower and the formation of small, faded leaves.
- From a decorative point of view, helleborus looks great in a place where evergreen coniferous trees act as a background.
Soil for hellebore
- Hellebore prefers alkaline soils (neutral in extreme cases).
- Grows vigorously under trees on turf.
- Add to acidic soil slaked lime, ash.
- It is also useful to throw away the husks from the brewed tea where the helleborus grows.
If you're not sure garden soil Helleborus will like it, take some turf from the nearest forest. This will be ideal soil for a winter hut both in structure and composition. You can fill the planting hole with it and mulch the area around it.
Watering the plant
- In regions characterized by snowy winters, artificial watering of plants is not practiced. This is possible thanks to natural hydration lands with melt waters.
- Despite the fact that excessively hard leaves practically do not evaporate water, in arid regions it is necessary to water the hellebore in hot weather.
Fertilizer application
Helleborus is a type of plant for open ground, which do not require additional fertilization. Soil, air and water provide them with everything they need during the growing season. For example, the necessary minerals come from the soil, and mineral nitrogen from the air. To prevent the root of the plant from being exposed, it is necessary to apply mulch underneath it. Since mulch is organic material, then it begins to decompose over time, turning into organic fertilizer.
How to plant hellebore correctly or transplant it to a new place
The beginning of autumn is the time when you need to start planting. A couple of months before winter, it will take root well and safely survive the cold season. Hellebore is able to grow over time in one place due to its ability to. It creates entire colonies, drowning out weeds.
Annual self-seeding has a negative impact on the beauty of the flower bed. Therefore, it is so important to start thinning the helleborus in a timely manner. Very often, to rejuvenate a flower bed with a plant, young shoots are dug up and replanted, while at the same time getting rid of the old ones.
When planting, it is important to take into account the features of agricultural technology:
- The hole needs to be shallow, up to 30 cm, given that the hellebore root small sizes. The diameter of the hole is approximately the same.
- If you have a reserve of patience, you can put a small stone on the bottom, sprinkled with sand. Such a simple improvement will allow for good drainage, which will protect the plant from damping off in winter and putrefactive diseases when the area is flooded with melt water in the spring. However, drainage is not necessary if water does not stagnate on the site.
- The soil, as already mentioned, needs to be slightly alkaline or neutral, but not acidic. It is good when the soil is rich in humus and seasoned with turf for looseness.
- The growth buds do not need to be buried; seedlings are planted, preserving natural level root collar.
- Water moderately to thoroughly moisten the soil, but not to overcompact it until the surface becomes thick with the formation of a crust when it dries.
You need to monitor the humidity of new plantings for the first week, watering 1 liter per bush every day in the evening. If the weather is wet, nature will do everything for you.
Planting hellebore in spring
- The plant can be planted in the spring, having prepared a hole in advance, somewhat deeper than the existing root system.
- It is advisable to put rotted compost or humus at the bottom.
- Place the bush vertically and carefully straighten it so that it evenly fills the space of the hole and does not bend.
- Holding the plant, sprinkle the root with soil and press lightly with your palm.
- The planting level should be the same as in the seedling pot or a couple of cm less. Water generously.
How to propagate hellebore by dividing the bush and seeds
- It is best to divide bushes and plant hellebores between seasons, in spring or autumn.
- To properly divide the bush, dig it out carefully, rinse the roots with water so that the growing points can be easily seen.
- We take a sharp knife and carefully cut it into pieces between the growth points, leaving at least 2-3 sprouts for each section.
Hellebore propagation is carried out by two main methods: the first is vegetative, which consists in dividing the bush of the plant, and the second is seed. The vegetative propagation method is considered the most effective; the seed propagation method is not very justified due to a sharp decrease in seed germination over time. Yes, and meet hellebore seeds in free sale seems extremely difficult.
Growing hellebore seedlings from seeds
Helleborus seedlings can be obtained by showing extraordinary patience. Freshly harvested seeds should be sown as quickly as possible, before they even dry out.
- It's better to use homemade ones wooden boxes at least 10 cm high so that you can pour enough nutrient soil. There should be holes in the bottom of the box for good drainage. For the same purpose, you can sprinkle a little expanded clay on the bottom before filling the box with the mixture.
- We sow shallowly, 0.5-1 cm.
- We leave at least 8 cm between the grooves, since young plants are difficult to tolerate transplantation and it is advisable to avoid diving. The distance between seedlings is 4-5 cm minimum.
- The sown seeds are taken to the garden and kept there until spring, not forgetting to moisten when the soil dries out, until the onset of the rainy season. This measure is necessary to undergo natural stratification.
- In spring, sprouted seedlings can be taken into the house and cared for in the usual way, simply by watering them in a timely manner.
- Please note that in the first year only two true leaves will appear, do not be nervous: hellebore develops for a very long time.
- Only after 2-3 years will you get a full-fledged one, which is planted in the ground in spring or autumn.
- Only in the fourth or fifth year will it be possible to see hellebores planted from seeds bloom.
Some gardeners do not want to devote a lot of space to growing Helleborus seedlings, and all because it grows really very slowly. A good option There will be a dense sowing in the box, and when the seedlings rise to a height of a couple of centimeters, they are carefully dropped into separate pots. In this case, you can use tweezers, a table fork or a regular toothpick to carefully “dig up” the root and transfer small plant to a new place.
This way the transplant will take place with minimal damage, and the space on the windowsill will be saved for other purposes while the helleborus gains strength.
How to collect seeds for sowing?
The fruit capsule of the flower is cut off slightly unripe and sent for ripening in a warm, dry and well-lit place. How do you know when hellebore seeds are ripe? The fact that the seeds are ripe will be demonstrated by the box itself, which will become covered with cracks. 2-3 weeks after removing them from the cracked box they will still be suitable for sowing.
When the box is opened, then experienced gardeners sowing begins immediately, for which a specially prepared permanent place is allocated. Seedlings germinate in the spring, and their flowering can only be observed after 4-5 years.
Sowing hellebore seeds in open ground
It is better to choose a place for the garden bed in the shade of trees, with light loam. Dig up top layer, loosen, level.
- Fill shallow furrows at a distance of 15-20 cm.
- We try to maintain less spacing in the row so as not to break through the plants. 8-10 cm is enough.
- You can cover the bed for the winter autumn leaves so that early-hatched seeds do not die from frost in the spring.
- Only after 2-3 years will the plants be able to be planted in the designated areas.
When does hellebore bloom?
Decorative hellebore how to grow Helleborus ‘Peppermint Ruffles’ Winter photo
As soon as the snow melts a little, flowers immediately hatch through the ground, in March or even February, depending on the region. For this reason, the plant is popularly called winterer. Flowers have a wide variety of colors, literally enlivening a boring landscape. Large green foliage appears much later, around April. Until the onset of stable heat, the flower continues to adhere to the rigid stem.
During this period, the hellebore is pollinated by insects and the fruit - a capsule - is set. If for some reason the fruit is not destined to set, it simply dries up along with the peduncle. Helleborus blooms in the second year after dividing the bush and in the 3rd - 4th year after seed propagation. It is also necessary to take into account that seeds that are not removed from the box scatter on their own and germinate in the spring.
How to deal with hellebore pests and diseases
The plant is very hardy. Temperatures of minus 30°C in the snowless steppes are not a death sentence for him. Hellebores are no longer afraid of northern regions, where a blanket of snow reliably protects it from stronger frosts. In warmer regions with little snow, hellebore begins to bloom in December. Natural types of flowers do not need shelter, while theirs hybrid varieties may suffer from winters with little snow and low temperatures. Therefore, they are covered with spruce branches.
Thanks to your poisonous properties, Helleborus does not attack tough foliage harmful insects. In the most extreme cases, from excessive humidity, hellebore can “catch” fungal disease in the form of gray and brown spots on the leaf blade. The area affected by the fungus is cut out, and the entire plant is treated with antifungal drugs.
“Adult” helleborus does not tolerate transplantation. When transplanted, it does not die, but simply stops flowering for several years. Therefore, it is necessary to select in advance a place for the permanent growth of helleborus on a summer cottage.
The only thing I would like to warn you about is to prevent small children from coming into contact with this flower, especially with its juice. The poisonous plant hellebore can only be an object of admiration for them, as a natural phenomenon, nothing more. Animals intuitively sense the nature of a flower and do not touch it.
Hellebore (helleborus) is easy to care for and very beautiful. To have it on your site, you don’t need to dig up a flower in the forest. You need to use the services of nurseries, where you can purchase your favorite plant or try to grow it from seeds.
Types and varieties of hellebore with descriptions and photos
On summer cottages You can see both types of hellebore created by nature and their hybrid forms.
Hellebore Helleborus orientalis
Very common, he is not afraid of anyone harsh winter, nor dry summer. It does not grow only in regions with permafrost. The natural hellebore flower has small strokes. His hybrid species They have flowers of a wide variety of shades.
Hellebore Helleborus foetidus
Bright, richly colored green foliage contrasts with pale green speckled flowers. This species of Helleborus gives off a strong, unpleasant odor.
Reddish hellebore Helleborus purpurascens
The leaves are narrow, elongated, grows in height up to 20-25 cm, has a flower color with a reddish tint of varying intensity depending on the variety. It has become widespread due to its decorative effect and unusual appearance.
Caucasian hellebore Helleborus caucasicus
The most poisonous of all Helleborus species. Has wide range applications in medicine. Its large, hard, shiny leaves are not prone to damage. The poisonous root is dug up and dried in a dark place. Tinctures from hellebore root are used as an external remedy in the treatment of diseases of the skin and joints. When taken orally, complications incompatible with life occur.
Black hellebore Helleborus niger
It got its name because of the color of the rhizome. U young plant the flower has a bright, white color with tiny specks, while the flower of an adult plant takes on a pinkish tint. The second name for black hellebore is Christmas star. It is associated with the legend of Jesus Christ, to whom this flower was given in the Southern temperate latitudes on your birthday.
The amazing properties of the perennial, its incredible ability to survive in any climatic conditions, unique beauty became the reason for gardeners’ special love for hellebore. Try planting it and you won’t notice how it will become one of the most desired flowers in the spring.
Hellebore varieties in the photo:
Hellebore cultivation and care Application in landscape design photo helleborus apricot
This unique plant, like hellebore, is extremely rare in nature. It has many advantages, including resistance to frost and drought, early and long flowering periods, a long life cycle, and most importantly, planting and caring for hellebore is not particularly labor-intensive. This set of excellent qualities of its extraordinary beauty is complemented by flowers.
Christmas rose - a flower with a lot of history
The name of the perennial already, to some extent, describes its properties. Low temperatures They are not afraid of hellebore or winterberry, which is a cold-resistant evergreen representative of the buttercup family. In the scientific community, as a rule, the Latin name of the flower is found - Helléborus, or its Russian transliteration - helleborus.
Hellebore is truly legendary flower, also known as the Christmas rose. The legend says: when Christ was born, a poor shepherd was unable to find an appropriate gift for little Jesus and shed a bitter tear, from which a flower of wondrous beauty was born, which became an amazing offering for the winter time.
Planting a plant
Considering that hellebore has a multi-year life cycle and has a negative attitude towards transplants, the selection of a place for planting the crop should be carried out in accordance with agrotechnical requirements.
The best option for planting a winter garden would be soils enriched with humus, under the crowns of trees, where large number foliage. And, although the culture is considered shade-loving, it still requires a small amount of sunlight. Thus, an area under trees with a loose crown is an excellent choice for planting a winter garden.
As indicated, when carrying out planting work, it is important to take into account the nuances of agricultural technology:
- Depth landing pit should not exceed 30 cm. Since the size of the root system of the winter hut is insignificant, the circumference of the hole should be of a similar size.
- If there is frequent stagnation of water on the site, creation is a mandatory step. Fine gravel should be placed at the bottom and sprinkled with sand. Such a simple improvement will protect the plant from damping off in winter and the development of rot in spring, when the area is flooded with melt water.
- The soil should be slightly alkaline or neutral, but not acidic. An excellent option is soils with good layer humus covered with turf, which gives looseness.
- Planting of seedlings should be done in such a way that the root collar maintains its natural level.
- Maintaining moderation of watering will allow you to properly moisten the soil, while at the same time preventing it from overcompacting until a crust forms after drying.
Planting and caring for hellebore (in brief)
- Landing: in April or September.
- Bloom: from late February to April.
- Lighting: bright sun, partial shade and even shade.
- Soil: heavy clayey, rich in humus, deeply cultivated, neutral reaction.
- Watering: regular, especially in the heat.
- Feeding: twice a season mineral complex and bone meal.
- Reproduction: seeds and spring division bush.
- Pests: snails, slugs, aphids, hop moth caterpillars and mice.
- Diseases: downy mildew, ring spot, anthracnose.
Read more about growing hellebore below.
Hellebore flower - description
The height of hellebore grass reaches from 20 to 50 cm. It has a short and thick rhizome, a simple, weakly branched stem. The leaves are basal, leathery, long-petiolate, palmate or stop-shaped. Cup-shaped flowers on a long stalk appear at the top of the stem from late winter to late June. What we take to be flower petals are actually sepals, and the petals have transformed into nectaries. The color range of hellebore includes several shades of white, pink, soft yellow, violet, purple, ink, and there are bicolor varieties. The shape of the flowers can be simple or double. The early flowering of hellebore makes it a long-awaited and favorite plant for all gardeners, who, after a long, colorless winter, enjoy watching hyacinths, muscari, crocuses, spring flowers, scillas and, of course, hellebores appear on the site. In addition to early flowering, hellebore has such advantages as high winter hardiness and drought resistance. But for those who want to grow hellebore in the garden, there is one warning: like all buttercups, it is extremely poisonous!
Planting hellebore
When to plant hellebore.
A hellebore bush can grow in one place for about 10 years, and since it tolerates transplantation very poorly, you need to approach the choice of place to plant the plant responsibly. Hellebore grows best in moist, loose, clay-drained soil of neutral reaction in partial shade, among bushes and trees. Hellebores look more impressive when planted in small groups - a bright island against the backdrop of a snow-covered or dull gray garden. Hellebores are planted in April or September.
How to plant hellebore.
Holes for planting hellebore are dug 30x30x30 in size at a distance of 30 cm between specimens. Half of the pit is filled with compost. Then, having lowered the rhizome into the hole, carefully hold the plant with one hand, and fill the hole with earth with the other, compact it and water it. Within three weeks after planting, hellebore needs frequent, abundant watering.
Hellebore care
How to care for hellebore.
Caring for hellebore is very simple: in the spring, before flowering begins, you need to remove all old leaves to prevent fungal spotting of young leaves and flowers of hellebore. Young leaves appear on the plant only after flowering. When the flowers fade, mulch the soil around the bushes with decomposed peat or compost. In hot weather, the plant needs regular watering, weeding and loosening of the area, as well as feeding with bone meal and mineral fertilizer twice a season.
Hellebore propagation.
Hellebores are propagated both generatively and vegetatively, although the seed propagation method is most often used. Hellebore seeds are sown for seedlings immediately after ripening and harvesting - usually at the end of June - to a depth of 1.5 cm in loose, humus, moist soil. Shoots usually appear by March of the following year. When they grow up and have one or two pairs of leaves, the seedlings dive into a flowerbed located in partial shade and grow there for another two to three years. Hellebore will begin to bloom from seeds only after three years, when the plant has taken root. permanent place, where it needs to be transplanted in April or September. This type of plant, like stinking hellebore, reproduces by self-sowing.
You can propagate hellebore by dividing the bush. In the spring, after it has flowered, five-year-old bushes are dug up, the hellebore rhizome is divided into several parts, the cuts are treated with crushed coal and planted in pre-prepared holes. By dividing the bush in the spring, black hellebore is propagated, and in the fall it is better to divide the eastern hellebore bushes.
Pests and diseases of hellebore.
Hellebore can be harmed by gastropods - slugs and snails that eat its leaves, as well as aphids, mice and caterpillars of the hop moth. Mice are gotten rid of with baits with poison placed in the places where they appear, snails and slugs are collected by hand, and insecticides are used against insects: aphids are destroyed with Antitlin or Biotlin, and caterpillars with Actellik.
Diseases that are dangerous for hellebore are downy mildew, anthracnose and ring spot. The carrier of spotting is aphids, which is why it is so important to prevent their presence in the garden. Parts of plants damaged by spotting are removed and burned, and the hellebore and the area are treated with fungicides. Anthracnose is diagnosed by the appearance of black-brown spots on the leaves with a barely noticeable ring pattern. Leaves affected by the disease are removed, and the plants are treated with preparations containing copper. On a hellebore infected with false powdery mildew, new leaves stop growing, and those that have already appeared are deformed, becoming covered with dark spots on the upper side of the leaf, and on the bottom - gray coating. The affected parts of the plants are cut out, and the area and hellebore are treated with Previkur or Copper Oxychloride.
In general, hellebore is a fairly resistant plant to pests and diseases, and harm can only be done to it when planting and caring for the hellebore were carried out carelessly or the growing conditions of the plant were systematically violated, for example, in an area with too high acidity of the soil. Conduct a soil acidity test: take a soil sample from the area, about the size of a teaspoon, pour it onto glass lying on a dark surface, and lightly sprinkle with table vinegar. If foaming is abundant, then the soil on the site is alkaline, if it is average, it is neutral, and if there is no foam at all, then it is time to add fluff lime to the site, wood ash or dolomite flour.
Hellebore after flowering
How and when to collect hellebore seeds.
Hellebore seeds ripen from June to the end of summer, but the capsules unexpectedly burst and the seeds fall to the ground. To prevent this from happening, put gauze bags on several unripe bolls and wait for the seeds to ripen and pour out into the bag. After this, dry them in a dry place with good ventilation and place them in a paper bag. However, you should know that hellebore seeds quickly lose their viability, so it would be best not to store them until spring, but to sow them immediately.
Hellebore in winter.
As we have already said, hellebore is a cold-resistant perennial, but in frosty, snowless winters it can suffer from freezing, especially for young plants. To prevent this from happening, sprinkle the area where the hellebore grows with dry leaves or cover it with spruce branches.
Types and varieties of hellebore
Black hellebore (Helleborus niger)
- one of the most beautiful and most widespread cultivated species, found naturally in mountain forests from southern Germany to Yugoslavia. This is an evergreen perennial up to 30 cm high with large, upward-growing flowers up to 8 cm in diameter, snow-white on the inside and slightly pinkish on the outside, located on peduncles 30 to 60 cm high. They bloom from the beginning of April for just under two weeks. The leaves of the black hellebore are wintering, very dense, leathery, beautiful dark green. This species has been cultivated since the Middle Ages; its winter hardiness is high - up to -35 ºC. The most famous varieties are: Nigerkors, Nigristern, and among the varieties:
- – Potter's Will– hellebore with the largest white flowers in the genus up to 12 cm in diameter;
- – HGC Joshua– one of the earliest hellebores, blooming in November;
- – Pracox– hellebore, which also blooms in November with soft pink flowers.
Caucasian hellebore (Helleborus caucasicus)
in nature it is most often found not only throughout the Caucasus, but also in Greece and Turkey. It has evergreen, long-petiolate, hard, leathery leaves up to 15 cm long, divided into wide segments, which can be from 5 to 11, and drooping flowers, white with green or yellowish-green with a brown tint, up to 8 cm in diameter, on peduncles ranging in height from 20 to 50 cm. Caucasian hellebore blooms from the end of April for one and a half months. The species is winter-hardy, in cultivation since 1853. This is the most poisonous species Hellebore
Abkhazian hellebore (Helleborus abchasicus)
- a plant with long-petioled leathery bare leaves of dark green or violet-green color, purple-red peduncles 30-40 cm high and dark red drooping flowers up to 8 cm in diameter, on which darker specks are sometimes noticeable. This hellebore blooms from April for about a month and a half, is winter-hardy, and has various garden forms.
Eastern hellebore (Helleborus orientalis),
like the Caucasian hellebore, native to the Caucasus Mountains, Turkey and Greece. It's evergreen perennial up to 30 cm high with purple flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. Unfortunately, the leaves of plants of this species are often affected by fungi. Of the many varieties, the most famous are:
- – White Swan– white-flowered hellebore;
- – Rock and Roll– hellebore with flowers covered with red-pink specks;
- – Blue Anemone– flowers of a light purple hue;
- – variety series Lady Series– erect, fast-growing bushes with peduncles up to 40 cm tall and flowers of six different colors.
Stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus)
from light forests and rocky slopes Western Europe with leafy stems, reaching a height of 20-30 cm by autumn. Its leaves are wintering, with narrow shiny segments of dark green color and a peduncle reaching a height of 80 cm, on which a lush inflorescence is formed of numerous, small, green bell-shaped flowers with a reddish -brown edge. This type of hellebore easily tolerates dry weather. Popular variety:
- – Vester Flisk– leaves with even narrower segments than the main species, inflorescence branches of a reddish hue.
Corsican hellebore (Helleborus argutifolius),
as the name implies, it grows naturally on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. This is an evergreen perennial plant up to 75 cm high, forming several erect stems that quickly grow in width. Yellow-green cup-shaped flowers form large complex racemes. At home, this species blooms in February, and in temperate climates not earlier than April. In our latitudes it requires shelter for the winter. Most famous variety:
- – Grünspecht- hellebore with red-green flowers.
Reddish hellebore (Helleborus purpurascens)
from South-Eastern Europe, growing in bushes and forest edges in an area stretching from the western regions of Ukraine to Hungary and Romania. It has large, long-petioled basal leaves, palmately dissected into 5-7 parts, green, bare and shiny on the upper side, and bluish on the lower side. Drooping, dusty violet-purple flowers on the outside, up to 4 cm in diameter with unpleasant smell they have a greenish tint from the inside, and over time they become green altogether. This species blooms from April for a month. In culture since 1850.
Hybrid hellebore (Helleborus x hybridus)
combines varieties of garden hybrids between different types hellebore with flowers of various colors with a diameter of 5 to 8 cm. For example:
- – Violetta– white flowers with a fluffy center, thin pink veins and a border;
- – Belinda– white double flowers with a greenish-pink glow and a border along the edge of the petals;
- – Queen of the Knight- flowers are dark purple with yellow stamens.
In addition to those described, such types of hellebores are known as green, fragrant, bush, multifidus, Tibetan, Stern and others.
Properties of hellebore
Only the poisonous hellebore root, harvested in September after the seeds have ripened, is used as a raw material for the production of medicinal preparations. The roots are washed with a stiff brush, chopped, and then dried at 40-45ºC in special dryers. The shelf life of dry raw materials is no more than two years. Decoctions and infusions are prepared from it, as well as powder, which has the most powerful healing effect.
In addition to being used as a medicine, hellebore is used for weight loss. It has the remarkable property of gently cleansing the body of toxins and removing excess liquid, break down fats, accelerate fat metabolism, which ultimately leads to the loss of unnecessary kilograms without such stress methods, like a long-term diet or fasting. Miracles, of course, do not happen, and you will not lose 10 kg in a week, but guaranteed to lose 4-5 kg within a month is also a decent achievement.
However, hellebore has many contraindications. You cannot use hellebore preparations:
- – people who have had a heart attack, suffer from tachycardia or have other heart problems;
- – people with liver disease;
- – pregnant and lactating women;
- – children under 14 years of age.
An overdose of drugs causes thirst, ringing in the ears, swelling of the throat and tongue, severe poisoning, and can even lead to collapse and cardiac arrest. Among plants, hellebore ranks first in terms of the content of heart poisons - sometimes death can occur after the first use of a hellebore preparation, therefore, if you are determined to use preparations containing hellebore extract, be sure to consult your doctor.