I saw a hellebore for the first time in a landscape nursery in Cedar Hill. Intrigued, and with a shady spot in mind, I bought three. They mounded up nicely after transplanting. Later, a visitor remarked, “Those are happy-looking hellebores.” There are such varieties as Lenten roses, which bloom in late winter/early spring, and Christmas roses, which bloom in December. They are available online in small pots, and occasionally in local nurseries.
I was hooked and have been growing a few ever since. The flowers from these plants droop, so they show better in a raised location.
They are winter hardy and evergreen, thriving through the recent cold snap, as well as the big freeze several years ago. The one catch is that you have to be patient. Dividing is possible; transplanting is possible. However, you have to be patient. When we moved (from one house to another), I took my hellebores with me (potting them before putting the house up for sale). We moved three. Two survived. One hadn’t been doing well in the first place and didn’t survive. One was down to one leaf, but that was all it needed. It’s currently doing fine. So you need patience when disturbing them.
I have observed that with my two plants of the same variety, the plant with more shade grows bigger but with fewer leaves. Both have very pretty, leathery, dark green foliage with light green veins.
They are drought tolerant once established. I water with soda bottles or similar containers with pinholes drilled in them.
I have two plants currently. The one in the deeper shade has larger leaves and fewer but larger flowers. The plants like deciduous trees overhead. They like the winter sun but want to stay away from the sun most of the day in the summer. Ours lie in the northwest corner of our privacy fence, under a crepe myrtle.
The plants like neutral to alkaline soil (yeah, Ellis County!). They like plenty of well-drained soil with compost. I added expanded shale as well, because of my clay soil. Dress with compost or other organic amendment, especially in early February when the plants are putting up flower stalks.
Hellebores will grow from seed but be careful. Some varieties are hybrids and will not be true to type grown from seed. Seeds need to be both warm and cold-stratified. The seed themselves, though I have yet to experience this. See the link below for more on propagation.
Consider for companions: ferns, Hostas, Texas Gold columbines, other shade plants.
More at How to Grow and Care for Hellebore (thespruce.com), Lenten Rose Lives Up to its Name – Neil Sperry’s GARDENS
I’m not sure what is meant by this sentence… growing seed? [TB1]