Companions For Hellebores - Learn What To Plant With Hellebores

Hellebore Companions

Hostas.
Native perennial ferns.
Columbines, especially US-native Aquilegia canadensis.
Bleeding heart.
Coral bells (Heuchera), foamflowers (Tiarella) and their hybrids, the foamy bells (Heucherella)
For more hellebores' planting companions, click here.

How far apart should you plant hellebores?

Spacing. Most hellebores can be planted about 35-45cm (14-18in) apart. Some need a bit more space; plant Helleborus argutifolius 60cm-1.2m (2-4ft) apart and Helleborus foetidus 60cm (2ft) apart.

Do pollinators like hellebores?

The fair HELLEBORAS attractive shone, Warm'd every Sage, and every Shepherd won. People often ask which pollinators visit these plants during winter, and the answer is, not many. Helleborus species are native to Europe and Asia, and there are no known native pollinators here.

What can I plant with Lenten roses?

Lenten rose combines well with other spring-blooming perennials such as barrenwort (Epimedium spp.), wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa) and Hepatica. Later in the season the foliage provides a nice backdrop for hostas and other shade perennials.

What animal eats hellebores?

Slugs can eat holes in hellebore leaves. Pick these hellebore plant pests off at night. Alternatively, attract them with bait traps using beer or cornmeal. Vine weevils are also bugs that eat hellebores.

Where is the best place to plant hellebores?

PLANTING & CARING FOR HELLEBORES

Tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions, hybrid hellebores perform best when sited in partial shade in rich, moist, but well-draining soil. Hellebores are quite easy to grow, and since they are perennials, will continue to bloom for a number of years.

Do hellebores bloom all summer?

Hellebores have a usual bloom time (winter and spring), but they can sometimes be found for sale, in full bloom, during the summer. This means that the plants have been forced to bloom out of their usual schedule, and they aren't likely to bloom again in the winter.

Do Hellebores flower every year?

Hellebores are reliable and flower every year once established with little or no attention. ... Hellebores require little or no maintenance, but they do better if the old foliage is removed in late winter during January.

Do honey bees like hellebores?

Hellebores are the stalwarts of the shade garden. They also provide a much-needed nectar and pollen source for honey bees that are out foraging any time we get one of those nice warmish winter days. ...

What is the best fertilizer for hellebores?

Do not fertilize hellebores, but top-dress them with compost once a year. In cold regions, provide a winter mulch, which should be pulled back before they bloom. The old or damaged foliage of evergreen hellebores can be cut away in early winter.

Can Hellebores take full sun?

Hellebores are hardy in Zones 6 to 9. They tolerate almost full sun to almost full shade but prefer partial shade. Dense shade may reduce flower production. Generally, they enjoy slightly neutral to acidic soils.

Do hellebores grow under trees?

BEST CONDITIONS TO GROW HELLEBORES

They are most commonly found at the lower heights of mountains where the snow melts and easily drains away. Where they grow amongst trees, the trees are deciduous and shed their leaves in winter allowing the plants underneath to have lots of sunlight during winter and early spring.

How poisonous are hellebores?

The leaves, stems, and roots of these plants are all poisonous. Although seldom fatal, your pet (or even your child) can become very ill if any part of the plant is ingested.

Do squirrels eat hellebores?

And while hellebores are poisonous, that's only if ingested in quantity. So they're no great threat to humans but that poisonous quality does ward off deer, rabbits and squirrels.

Are hellebores poisonous to dogs?

The majority won't cause much more than an upset stomach, and most dogs won't eat plants that are poisonous to them. Most toxic garden plants, such as granny's bonnet, bluebells and hellebores, need to be eaten in such huge quantities to cause harm, that they're very unlikely to do so.

Do hellebores grow well in pots?

Hellebore needs rich and well-drained soil, so be sure to choose a pot that drains and use a rich organic potting soil or add compost to existing soil. ... The flowers tend to droop downward, so find an elevated position for your container grown hellebore so you can fully enjoy it.

Why are hellebores so expensive?

Hybrid hellebores are expensive to purchase (about $17 for a one-gallon pot) because it takes three to five years for them to bloom, and growers generally only sell blooming plants. ... Unlike other perennials, hellebores are long-lived plants that do not need to be divided to remain vigorous.

Do hellebores multiply?

A hellebore will yield from two to as many as 10 divided plants. You should plant the divided plants immediately, making sure the roots do not dry out.

How do you maintain hellebores?

Grow hellebores in fertile, well-drained soil at the front of a border, beneath shrubs or in pots, in sun to partial shade. Cut back the large leathery leaves when flowers and new foliage emerge and mulch plants annually with well-rotted compost or manure. Avoid transplanting hellebores after they have established.

Should hellebores be cut back after flowering?

The best time for pruning a hellebore plant is late winter or early spring, just as soon as the new growth begins to appear. This new growth should come straight up out of the ground as little stalks. These stalks should still be surrounded by a ring of last year's big leaves.

Can you take cuttings from hellebores?

Hellebores are best divided in early spring or autumn. Only hellebores that do not produce stems (acaulescent plants), can be propagated by division. Stemmed (caulescent) hellebores cannot be divided. ... For smaller plants, you can use a knife to carefully divide them.