(Helleborus orientalis, Helleborus hybridus)
A fantastic evergreen perennial that blooms in midwinter–hence the names Christmas rose or Lenten rose. Hellebores, unlike many shade-loving perennials, don’t mind our alkaline soil and water and are quite drought-tolerant once they get going. Flowers come in shades of white, pink, dark maroon, red and various spots; there are even several green-flowered types if that is your taste. Native to Europe, where they have naturalized in ruins of old monasteries and herb gardens.
Hellebores, Lenten Rose
