Helleborus x 'METALLIC BLUE LADY'

Hellebore (Lenten rose) is not a new plant in Czech and Slovak gardens. I remember those flowering stems that surprisingly pushed through the snow in late winter and I kept asking grandma how come that a plant can flower while there is still snow on the ground. These evergreen perennials are still very popular, mainly thanks to newly hybridized varieties with fantastic flowers.

Metallic Blue Lady is a Lenten rose probably designed for male population that loves metallic colours on their cars. The flowers are very deep purple with deep blue metallic overlay giving the flowers an extra softness a velvety feel and contrast beautifully with the centres filled with creamy yellow stamens. The flowers appear from mid-winter on 25-35 cm tall, sturdy stems and keep on producing new flower buds until mid-spring. Leaves are pedate, leathery, dark green and partly glossy. If the plant has many flower buds the leaves are usually tired and unsightly in late winter and should be removed in order to make space for newly emerging foliage.

Hellebore likes heavy, evenly moist, neutral to alkaline soil in dappled shade or filtered sun. Some growers even suggest growing it in wet ground but we have not tested it yet. 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! Hardy to about -29°C (USDA zone 5).

Last update 04-01-2012