Plant Library

Other Names:  Lenten Rose, Winter Rose, Hellebore

Description:

Cup-shaped dangling white flowers emerge in mid to late winter, one of the first flowers to come up in cool weather and a harbinger of spring; excellent for woodland gardens and shaded slopes

Ornamental Features

Christmas Rose features showy nodding creamy white cup-shaped flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the stems from late winter to early spring. Its glossy oval compound leaves remain bluish-green in colour throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Christmas Rose is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Christmas Rose is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Christmas Rose will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This species is not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division.