Helleborus × iburgensis HGC ICE'N ROSES® MARY MARBLE hellebore, Lenten rose
Helleborus
The genus Helleborus comprises roughly twenty species of perennial plants distributed mainly across Europe and western Asia, especially in the mountainous and sub‑montane regions of the Balkans, the Alps and the Apennines. Direct fossil evidence is lacking, but genetic relationships and present‑day distribution point to a very ancient origin, probably reaching deep into the Tertiary. Hellebores were already known to classical physicians, as shown by the writings of Hippocrates and Pliny the Elder, who used them as drastic medicinal remedies. This is reflected in the Greek etymology of the name, most often interpreted as a combination of helein (to kill) and bora (a deadly food). It refers to the plant’s highly poisonous properties, valued in antiquity as powerful purgatives but easily fatal when used without expertise. The genus received its modern name and place in botany in the mid‑18th century thanks to Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), who described it in 1753 in Species Plantarum. Hellebores are no novelty in Czech and Slovak gardens either; our grandmothers already enjoyed their flowers in winter and early spring. The only thing that has changed since then are the cultivars and colours, which are ever more numerous and increasingly beautiful. They are evergreen perennials with a remarkably structured flower. The “petals” we see at first glance, white or coloured, are in fact enlarged sepals surrounding a ring of true petals – the corolla segments, usually periwinkle green and occasionally red, which have become tubular and bear the nectaries.
ICE N‘ ROSES® is an attractive series of large-flowered hellebores from German breeder Josef Heuger, which can bloom as early as December under favourable weather conditions. Otherwise, it will keep its buds tucked away and bloom during the first warm days at the end of winter. Among large-flowered hellebores, ICE N‘ ROSES® MARY MARBLE shines as one of the most unique varieties, celebrated not only for its captivating blooms but also its striking, marbled foliage. The flowers are single coloured with a diameter of 6-7 cm, vividly burgundy red in colour, darkening as the seeds mature. The centre is adorned with creamy stamens and a crown of true, vestigial petals. The stems are approximately 40 cm tall, reddish-brown, upright, and the open flowers face upwards or sideways, with some slightly drooping. They form a compact clump.
These hellebores from the Helleborus Gold Collection® (HGC) series have been bred by the German company Heuger since the mid‑20th century. Their modern series includes the most successful cultivars bred to date, in a wide range of colors and flower types.
The evergreen leaves are among the most beautiful of all hellebores. They are glossy, broadly palmate, divided into 3 to 5 individual leaflets of dark green colour with prominent veining, creating a silvery-grey marbled effect. It is particularly striking during the cold days of winter and early spring, when the veins take on a pale purple or even a pink hue. Young leaves have distinctly serrated edges, but the notches almost disappear over time. This hybrid is a cross between H. lividus, H. argutifolius, H. niger, and sometimes other spring hybrids. Breeder Josef Heuger named it Helleborus x iburgensis after the town of Bad Iburg, where it was launched in 2018 during the State Garden Show (Landesgartenschau) which is a prestigious garden exhibition taking place each year in a different region and town.
Hellebore likes heavy, evenly moist, neutral to alkaline, rich in humus soil in dappled shade or filtered sun. This hybrid will prefer at least half a day with direct sunlight. Fertilizing will increase flowering and help the leaves remain strong and nice throughout the winter. Grow it somewhere near your house entrance or close to the window you look out of frequently so that you can enjoy the plant when it starts flowering since at that time the weather outside is not yet ideal for walking around the garden. The flowers can cheer up a number of grey and dull days of late winter therefore thumbs up for hellebore! Harmful if eaten. Hardy to about -29 °C (USDA zone 5).
Last update 04-04-2025
