Helleborus Lenten Rose Mixed - Christmas Rose - 

The Helleborus Lenten Rose Mixed borrows its name from “Lent.” Yes, the period between February to April, between Ash Wednesday and Easter are just around the same time that the hellebore flowers. It is almost a symbolism of sorts, a burst of cadence and color just when things are getting drab at the far end of the winter season. 

Perfect for naturalizing in woodland settings.

The Lenten rose mixed belongs to the plant family of buttercups. Yes, it is named “rose’ but it’s not a true rose. It is a hybrid of sorts. It is a darling of gardens around the world because of its wide array of foliage colors. From green, lavender, blue to the extreme pink, all these colors blend to form the amazing kaleidoscope that forms the foliage of the hellebore flowers.

The plant has extremely large flowers. They are almost 4 inches in diameter. The same flowers attract large numbers of bees and a variety of other insects to the garden. This means, that apart from being a beautiful sight, the plant also brings pollinating agents to the garden. Talk of killing a couple of birds with a single stone, or two.

Lenten Rose Care

Planting for the Helleborus Lenten roses mostly happens around early to mid spring. That is not to say that you can’t plant them in late winter. It grows just as well. Make sure to plant it in rich soils that will not be disturbed frequently. Not disturbing the soils around its roots is an essential part of care for the hellebore. In addition, it’s care also involves pruning every once in a while, once the flowers have started shading brown at the edges and propagation by division if you need more of it in the garden.

Since the rose has a long bloom period, the flowers, which hang from thick stems suspended above the leaves are present throughout the growing period. This means that you can always bank on it to have flowers at any time of the year.

Lenten Rose Pruning

Prune last years growth in late winter so your plants look beautiful as they begin new spring blooms.

The lenten rose works great as a potted plant. However, it performs equally well in the garden as a cover plant.

Please note: Hellebores are poisonous.