Randy's Plant Pick: Hellebores

Hey, y'all my plant pick for January is Hellebores (Helleborus orientalis).

Hellebores are widely grown in hardiness zones 5a to 8b gardens for decorative purposes.

I love this plant because it starts blooming in January and the blossoms remain until April. It has drooping clusters of small, bell-shaped flowers that come in many colors.

Hellebores are perfect for shade gardens.

It thrives in the shade. With its attractive leathery foliage, it makes a nice evergreen textured ground cover for the shade garden border.

Large flower and double-flower cultivars are available. Due to the fact they bloom early in the new year, they are often called Lenten Rose. I prefer the lighter color flowers because they show up better in the darker shady areas. 

Hellebore plants are usually left alone by animals such as deer and rabbits due to the fact that the leaves of the plant produce poisonous alkaloids, making them distasteful to animals.

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