Helleborus 'MOLLY'S WHITE'

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.

Molly’s White is another Lenten rose bred by Rodney Davey in the UK. It comes from a breeding success of crossing h. lividus, h. niger, and h. x hybridus. This variety bears white flowers with green tones atop 30-40 tall stems. They open continuously for a long period of time – often as long as 2 months – from late February until end April. Leaves are evergreen, large, leathery, very dark green with silvery grey marbling.

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 26-01-2015