Helleborus 'ANNA'S RED'

Hellebore (Lenten rose) is not a new plant to 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.

Anna’s Red is a Lenten rose bred by Rodney Davey in the UK and released after 12 years hard breeding work in 2013. It is a surprise success of crossing h. lividus, h. niger, and h. x hybridus. It was named after Anna Pavord (*20 September 1940), a British correspondent, editor, and contributor to such magazines and publications like The Independent, The Observer or Gardens Illustrated.

Anna’s Red Lenten rose produces rich purple red flowers with a conspicuous cluster of greenish-yellow stamens in the centre. The stems are about 30 cm tall and same dark wine red as the leaf stalks. Leaves are evergreen, leathery, very dark green with light green marbling. It is a very floriferous variety and flowering starts a little later than on older hybrids – usually in early March.

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! Hardy to min. -29°C (USDA zone 5).

Last update 25-01-2015