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If I could only grow one perennial in my shade garden, it would be a Lenten Rose. Also known commonly as Hellebore or by its botanical name, Helleborus orientalis, the whole gardening world seems enchanted with these mostly evergreen, woodland winter-flowering perennials.

Lenten Rose is one of the easiest, most rewarding and durable perennials to grow. As a bonus, it blooms in the darkest months of the year when most other plants are frozen. (Lenten Rose is rated for the USDA winter hardiness zones 4-8.)

Native to southern Europe and Asia, this plant belongs to the Buttercup family. The glossy-green foliage emerges from a basal clump and is evergreen in most climates. The 15-inch-tall by 24-inch-wide clumps are topped with wonderful stalks of clusters of large, nodding, cup-shaped flowers from late winter through spring.

Since Lenten Rose is seed grown, the flower colors can range from white to pink, to deep lavender. Be aware that the roots of the Lenten Rose are poisonous, which is probably why deer shy away from eating it. Hellebore is easy to grow if you provide improved soil in a lightly shaded woodland-type situation. It becomes amazingly drought tolerant with age and is great under summer-thirsty trees. Every spring, I recommend removing the old and tattered foliage and fertilizing plants with a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10.

Lenten Rose freely volunteers to reseed itself in the garden, so you will have to watch for seedlings around your parent plants. You may even come up with some great hybrids of your own!

One new selection you may want to include in your garden is ‘Nell Lewis’. The most amazing thing about this vigorous seed strain is that almost all of the seedlings flower the first year from seed, an unheard of trait in the genus Helleborus. From the large, glossy dark green leaves arise 8-inch-tall stalks of large pure-white flowers which start blooming in January. Other unique selections you might find at your favorite garden center include ‘Cosmos’ (white and pink), ‘Dusk’ (soft purple), ‘Party Dress’ (pink double flowers), and ‘Pluto’ (dark purple).

The best uses for Lenten Rose tend to include planting either in mass, clumping around rocks, trees and stumps, or edging a bed or walk. Since the flower heads droop downward, planting on an upward slope where you can look up into their flowers is ideal.

To enjoy their blooms next January, set plants between 12 and 15 inches apart in early spring. The soil should be generously enriched with peat moss, leaf mold, or compost before planting. Lenten Rose has a deep growing root system, so the roots should be planted downward, rather than spread out below the soil surface, and the crown of the plant (the point where the stem and roots intersect) should be an inch below the soil surface. Apply a one inch layer of mulch around the plants.

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Submitted by: Dr. Susan Hamilton, associate professor of ornamental horticulture in the University of Tennessee Department of Plant Sciences and Landscape Systems and director of the UT Gardens.

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