Lenten Roses

I found Lenteen Roses last year and bought a couple because of their interesting pale greenish/white flowers. I can kill most anything the first time, but I stuck these in the ground and walked away. They took thrived last year and this year, they started blooming on Easter Sunday. Here's a picture from my garden.


Family: Ranunculaceae (ra-nun-kew-LAY-see-ee)
Genus: Helleborus (hel-eh-BORE-us)
Species: orientalis (or-ee-en-TAY-liss)

If you have never seen or grown these plants, here's some information on them. The very popular, early blooming shade perennial more commonly known as the Lenten Rose. Lenten Roses grow hardy around the world in temperate zones 4-7.
Although we know them as a Lenten Rose but are not roses at all. They are actually of the Butter Cup family. Their flowers bloom during the Easter celebration of Lent, leading the vernal procession of color in the shady areas of thoughtful perennial gardens.
When they are not in bloom they remain as lush ground cover throughout the year; and they are deer proof. This lush, hardy shade perennial is grown and prized by master gardeners throughout the world.
Sun and Soil Requirements for Lenten Rose:
Grow lenten rose plants in partial shade to full shade. Shade helps preserve the vibrant color of both the sepals and the foliage. Helleborus orientalis prefers a well-drained soil.

Outstanding Characteristics of Lenten Rose:
Lenten rose flowers are valued for their early-blooming quality, injecting color into the early spring landscape. Besides early blooming, an almost equally salient trait is the persistence of Lenten rose's trademark sepals.

Caveats in Growing Lenten Rose:
All parts of Lenten rose plants are toxic. In fact, I've heard of cases where especially susceptible people have developed a mild skin irritation after an extensive period of handling Lenten rose plants without garden gloves. I only handle these plants wearing gloves or I start itching.
Uses for Lenten Rose:
Reputedly a deer-resistant plant, Lenten rose may be a logical choice in areas infested by deer pests. When they re-seed (as these Hellebores are wont to do) and spread, the attractive foliage of Lenten rose plants make them gorgeous ground covers. In fact, Lenten rose will naturalize under the right conditions. As with hostas, the shade tolerance of these Hellebores make them perfect for woodland gardens. Even though the intensity of their color diminishes as summer approaches and is entirely faded by fall, These will be perfect for our property. We have a river, woods and lots of deer behind where the house will go.
Care for Lenten Rose:
As mentioned above, the new foliage emerges just in time in early spring to supplant the old leaves, which may be tattered by this time. For aesthetic purposes, trim off the old leaves when the "reinforcements" arrive. Amend the soil with compost to improve the vigor of your Lenten rose plants. Divide clumps in spring to propagate Lenten rose.
Origin, Meaning of the Names, "Lenten Rose" and "Christmas Rose":
In relatively mild climates, Helleborus niger may bloom in winter -- thus the name, "Christmas rose." There is a legend of the Christmas rose that is very similar to that for poinsettias.

Helleborus orientalis, meanwhile, may bloom in early spring, around the time of the Christian season of Lent. Likewise, "Pasque flower" is so named because it blooms around Eastertime in some locales (Pasque being the Old French for "Easter").

Both bear "flower buds" that resemble rose buds (see picture above), thus the "rose" part of the name.

I took the picture April 5th in my garden in Adrian, MI. The information about the plant came from various websites selling the plants except for the comments in bold which are mine. I bought my Lenten Roses last year at Lowe's.