Helleborus SP ANJA OUDOLF^®

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. Spring Promise^® (SP) series was developed and bred by Josef Heuger in Germany, and consists of very attractive varieties of large flowers of various shapes and colours.

I must admit that I used to have problems to believe that hellebores could made yellow flowers because the internet images were often photoshopped, and when the plant flowered in my yard it was completely different. Only until I got to know Josef Heuger hybrids. They are really almost yellow such as this one called Anja Oudolf^®. It is from the Spring Promise^® series and produces near yellow flowers with burgundy veins and margins. They are drooping like bellflowers and may appear from January, if the winter is mild, for almost 3 months. Stems are 30-35 cm tall. Leaves are leathery, deep green, palmately divided into 5 leaflets. They are frost hardy to about -15°C, then they die back and re-emerge in spring after flowering.

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 30-01-2019