Planting and caring for hellebore (in a nutshell)

• Landing: in April or September.
• Bloom: from the end of February to April.
• Lighting: bright sun, penumbra and even shade.
• The soil: heavy clay, rich in humus, deeply cultivated, neutral reaction.
• Watering: regular, especially in the heat.
• Top dressing: twice a season with a mineral complex and bone meal.
• Reproduction: seeds and spring division of the bush.
• Pests: snails, slugs, aphids, hop worm caterpillars and mice.
• Diseases: downy mildew, ring spot, anthracnose.

Read more about growing hellebore below.

Hellebore flower - description

The hellebore grass reaches a height of 20 to 50 cm. It has a short and thick rhizome, a simple, slightly branched stem. Leaves basal, leathery, long-petiolate, palmately or stopiformly dissected. Cup-shaped flowers on a long pedicel appear at the top of the stem from late winter to late June. What we think of as flower petals are actually sepals, and the petals have been transformed into nectaries. The color range of hellebore includes several shades white color, pink, soft yellow, purple, magenta, ink color, there are two-tone varieties. The shape of the flowers can be simple and terry. The early flowering of the hellebore makes it a long-awaited and beloved plant for all gardeners who, after a long colorless winter, are happy to watch hyacinths, muscari, crocuses, vespers, blueberries and, of course, hellebore appear on the site. In addition to early flowering, hellebore has such advantages as high winter hardiness and drought resistance. But for those who want to grow hellebore in the garden, there is one caveat: like all buttercups, it is extremely poisonous!

Planting hellebore

When to plant hellebore.

In one place, the hellebore bush can grow for about 10 years, and since it does not tolerate transplantation very well, you need to approach the choice of a place for planting a plant responsibly. Hellebore grows best in moist, loose, clay-drained soil of neutral reaction in partial shade, among bushes and trees. The hellebore looks more spectacular when planted in small groups - a bright island against the backdrop of a snowy or dull gray garden. Planting hellebore is carried out in April or September.

How to plant hellebore.

Holes for planting hellebore are dug 30x30x30 in size at a distance of 30 cm between specimens. Half of the hole is filled with compost. Then, having lowered the rhizome into the pit, they carefully hold the plant with one hand, and with the other they fill the pit with earth, tamp it down and water it. Within three weeks after planting, the hellebore needs frequent, plentiful watering.

Hellebore Care

How to care for hellebore.

Caring for the hellebore is very simple: in the spring, before flowering, you need to remove all old leaves to prevent fungal spotting of young leaves and flowers of hellebore. Young leaves appear on the plant only after flowering. When the flowers fade, mulch the soil around the bushes with decomposed peat or compost. In hot weather, the plant needs regular watering, weeding and loosening of the site, as well as fertilizing with bone meal and mineral fertilizer twice a season.

Hellebore reproduction.

Hellebore is propagated both generatively and vegetatively, although the seed method of propagation is most often used. Hellebore seeds are sown on seedlings immediately after ripening and harvesting - usually at the end of June - to a depth of 1.5 cm in loose, humus, moist soil. Shoots usually appear by March of the following year. When they grow up and they have one or two pairs of leaves, the seedlings dive into a flower bed located in partial shade, and grow there for another two or three years. Hellebore from seeds will begin to bloom only after three years, when the plant takes root in a permanent place, where it needs to be transplanted in April or September. This type of plant, like stinky hellebore, propagates by self-sowing.

You can propagate hellebore by dividing the bush. In the spring, after it has faded, five-year-old bushes are dug up, the hellebore rhizome is divided into several parts, the slices are treated with crushed coal and planted in pre-prepared holes. By dividing the bush in spring, black hellebore is propagated, and in autumn it is better to divide bushes of eastern hellebore.

Pests and diseases of hellebore.

The hellebore can be harmed by gastropod mollusks - slugs and snails that eat its leaves, as well as aphids, mice and caterpillars of the hop fine-moth. Mice are disposed of with poison baits laid out in their places of appearance, snails and slugs are collected by hand, and insecticides are used against insects: aphids are destroyed with Antitlin or Biotlin, and caterpillars with Actellik.

Of the diseases, downy mildew, anthracnose and ring spot are dangerous for hellebore. The peddler of spotting is aphids, which is why it is so important to prevent their presence in the garden. Parts of plants damaged by spotting are removed and burned, and the hellebore and the site are treated with fungicides. Anthracnose is diagnosed by the appearance on the leaves black and brown spots with a barely visible ring pattern. The leaves affected by the disease are removed, and the plants are treated with preparations containing copper. On hellebore affected by false powdery mildew, new leaves stop growing, and those that have already appeared are deformed, becoming covered with dark spots on the upper side of the leaf, and on the lower side with a gray coating. The affected parts of the plants are cut out, and the plot and hellebore are treated with Previkur or Copper Oxychloride.

In general, the hellebore is a plant that is quite resistant to pests and diseases, and it can only be harmed when the planting and care of the hellebore was carried out carelessly or the growing conditions of the plant were systematically violated, for example, in a site with too high acidity of the soil. Test the acidity of the soil: take a sample of soil from an area with an amount of about a teaspoon, pour it onto a glass lying on a dark surface, and lightly pour table vinegar. If the foaming is plentiful, then the soil in the area is alkaline, if the average is neutral, and if there is no foam at all, then it's time to add fluffy lime to the area, wood ash or dolomite flour.

Hellebore after flowering

How and when to collect hellebore seeds.

Hellebore seeds ripen from June to the end of summer, but the boxes suddenly burst, and the seeds fall to the ground. To prevent this from happening, put gauze bags on several immature boxes and wait for the seeds to ripen and spill into the bag. After that, dry them in a dry, well-ventilated room and put them in a paper bag. However, you should be aware that hellebore seeds quickly lose their germination capacity, so it is best not to store them until spring, but to sow immediately.

Frostbite in winter.

As we have already said, hellebore is a cold-resistant perennial, however, in frosty snowless winters, it can also suffer from freezing, especially for young plants. To prevent this from happening, sprinkle the area where the hellebore grows with dry foliage or throw it with spruce branches.

Types and varieties of hellebore

Black hellebore (Helleborus niger)

- one of the most beautiful and most common species in culture, found naturally in mountain forests from southern Germany to Yugoslavia. This is an evergreen perennial up to 30 cm high with large, wrinkling up flowers up to 8 cm in diameter, snow-white inside and slightly pinkish outside, located on peduncles 30 to 60 cm high. They bloom from the beginning of April a little less than two weeks. The leaves of the black hellebore are wintering, very dense, leathery, beautiful dark green. This species has been cultivated since the Middle Ages, its winter hardiness is high - up to -35 ºC. Of the varieties, the most famous are: Nigerkors, Nigristern, and of the varieties:

• – Potters Will- hellebore with the largest white flowers in the genus up to 12 cm in diameter;
• – HJC Joshua- one of the earliest hellebore, blooming in November;
• – Pracox- hellebore, also blooming in November with pale pink flowers.

Caucasian hellebore (Helleborus caucasicus)

in nature, it is most often found not only throughout the Caucasus, but in Greece and Turkey. It has evergreen, long-petiolate, hard, leathery leaves up to 15 cm long, divided into wide segments, which can be from 5 to 11, and drooping flowers, white with a greenish or yellowish green with a brown tint, up to 8 cm in diameter, on peduncles from 20 to 50 cm. Caucasian hellebore blooms from the end of April for a month and a half. Kind of winter-hardy, in culture since 1853. This is the most poisonous type of hellebore.

Abkhaz hellebore (Helleborus abchasicus)

- a plant with long-leaved leathery bare leaves of dark green or purple-green color, purple-red peduncles 30-40 cm high and dark red drooping flowers up to 8 cm in diameter, on which darker specks are sometimes noticeable. This hellebore blooms from April for about a month and a half, is winter-hardy, and has various garden forms.

Eastern hellebore (Helleborus orientalis),

like the Caucasian hellebore, it comes from the Caucasus Mountains, from Turkey and Greece. It's evergreen perennial up to 30 cm high with purple flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. Unfortunately, the leaves of plants of this species are often affected by fungi. Of the many varieties, the most famous are:

• – White Swan- white-flowered hellebore;
• – rock and roll- hellebore with flowers covered with red-pink specks;
• – Blue Anemone- light purple flowers;
• – variety series Lady Series- erect, fast-growing bushes with peduncles up to 40 cm tall and flowers of six different colors.

Stinky hellebore (Helleborus foetidus)

from light forests and rocky slopes Western Europe with leafy stems, reaching a height of 20-30 cm by autumn. Its leaves are wintering, with narrow shiny segments of dark green color and a peduncle reaching a height of 80 cm, on which a lush inflorescence is formed of numerous, small, green bell-shaped flowers with a reddish -brown edge. This type of hellebore easily tolerates dry weather. Popular variety:

• – Wester Flisk- leaves with even narrower segments than the main species, inflorescence branches of a reddish hue.

Corsican hellebore (Helleborus argutifolius),

as the name implies, it grows in nature on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. It is an evergreen perennial plant up to 75 cm high, forming several erect stems that grow rapidly in width. Yellow-green cup-shaped flowers form large complex racemes. At home, this species blooms in February, and in temperate climate not before April. In our latitudes, it requires shelter for the winter. Most famous variety:

• – Grünspecht- hellebore with red-green flowers.

Reddish Hellebore (Helleborus purpurascens)

from South-Eastern Europe, growing in shrubs and forest edges in an area stretching from the western regions of Ukraine to Hungary and Romania. It has large, long-petiolate basal palmately dissected leaves into 5-7 parts, green, bare and shiny on the upper side, and bluish on the lower side. Drooping, dusty violet-purple hue on the outside, flowers up to 4 cm in diameter with bad smell from the inside they have a greenish tint, and over time they generally become green. This species blooms from April for a month. In culture since 1850.

Hellebore hybrid (Helleborus x hybridus)

combines varieties garden hybrids between different types of hellebore with flowers of various colors with a diameter of 5 to 8 cm. For example:

• – Violet- white flowers with a fluffy center, thin pink veins and a border;
• – Belinda– white double flowers with a greenish-pink glow and a border along the edge of the petals;
• – Queen of the Knight- dark purple flowers with yellow stamens.

In addition to those described, such types of hellebore as green, fragrant, shrubby, multipartite, Tibetan, Stern and others are known.

hellebore properties

As a raw material for the manufacture medical preparations use only poisonous root hellebore harvested in September after seed ripening. The roots are washed with a stiff brush, cut, and then dried at 40-45ºC in special dryers. Shelf life of dry raw materials is not more than two years. Decoctions and infusions are prepared from it, as well as a powder, which has the most powerful healing effect.

In addition to being used as a medicine, hellebore is used for weight loss. It has a wonderful property to gently cleanse the body of toxins, remove from it excess liquid, break down fats, accelerate fat metabolism, which ultimately leads to the loss of unnecessary kilograms without such stressful methods as a long diet or fasting. Miracles, of course, do not happen, and you will not lose 10 kg in a week, but guaranteed to lose 4-5 kg ​​within a month is also a decent achievement.

However, hellebore has many contraindications. You can not use preparations from hellebore:

• - people who have survived a heart attack, suffering from tachycardia or having other heart problems;
• - people with a diseased liver;
• - pregnant and lactating women;
• - children under 14 years of age.

An overdose of drugs causes thirst, ringing in the ears, swelling of the throat and tongue, severe poisoning, and can even lead to collapse and cardiac arrest. Among plants, hellebore ranks first in terms of the content of heart poisons - sometimes a fatal outcome can occur after the very first use of the preparation from hellebore, therefore, if you are determined to use preparations containing hellebore extract, be sure to consult your doctor.

Hellebore is a genus of perennial plants of the Buttercup family, which includes about 20 species, most of which are successfully planted and cared for in our climate zone. It grows wild in the highlands of Europe and Asia Minor. In Europe, this flower is called the "Rose of Christ", and we have a "winter house", as it can begin to bloom in winter.

General information

The height of hellebore reaches half a meter. The rhizome is powerful, but short. The leaves are placed next to the roots, dissected. Cupped flowers form on top of the stems. Flowering occurs almost the entire first half of the year. Coloring of flowers is different, bicolor varieties are bred. There are also hellebore with double flowers.

When growing this herb, you should pay attention that it is extremely poisonous, so be careful when planting it. But, despite the toxicity, hellebore has medicinal properties, which help to normalize metabolism, pressure, blood sugar levels.

For the preparation of medicines, only the root of the plant is taken. An overdose of preparations containing hellebore is very dangerous, it is recognized by thirst, ringing in the ears, intoxication occurs, and sometimes there have been fatal cases.

Hellebore should not be taken by people with heart disease, heart attacks, pregnant women, lactating women, and those who have liver problems. Children under 15 years of age are also not recommended to give such drugs.

Species and varieties

- This is a perennial evergreen plant growing up to 30 cm. It has large white flowers, the outer wall of which is slightly colored with a pink tint. Withstands very low temperatures, down to -35ºC. Blooms in April for about 15 days.

- the leaves of this species reach 15 cm, divided into wide parts. The flowers are white, slightly greenish, formed on tall peduncles. This hellebore is the most poisonous of all.

- this type of hellebore has flowers of a lilac hue, which will differ depending on the variety. There are problems with its cultivation, as the eastern hellebore is very vulnerable to fungal diseases.

- its leaves and stems are not very different from other species, but the peduncles are very tall, and the flowers have an interesting green color. Easily propagated by self-seeding.

Represents varieties formed from crossing different plant species.

Hellebore planting and care

Clay soil is suitable for planting hellebore, well moistened, as well as loose. The place should be shaded, the acidity of the soil is required to be neutral, make drainage on the planting site.

The best time to land is April and September. We advise you to plant flowers in groups - this way they will look much more beautiful. Large holes for plants are needed - 30 cm wide, long and deep. The gap between the bushes is also 30 cm.

Half of the hole is covered with compost, and then the roots are lowered into it. Keeping the hellebore in an upright position, the rest of the free space in the hole must be filled with soil and well moistened.

The next 20 days, the planted flowers require regular, strong watering. Caring for hellebore should not be difficult even for beginners in gardening. Most importantly, remove all old leaves in the spring so that the plant does not rot. After flowering, mulch the ground next to hellebore with compost.

In summer, the plant needs to be watered, weeds removed, and the soil loosened for it. A couple of times a season, the flower is fed with bone meal and mineral fertilizer.

The hellebore tolerates a transplant very painfully and therefore it is grown in one area for a very long time, up to ten years.

Propagation of hellebore by seeds and division

Usually, seeds are used to propagate hellebore. Sowing is carried out immediately after collection, which falls at the end of July - beginning of August. For sowing, a damp, humus substrate is required. Sowing depth - 1.5 cm.

Hellebore will sprout in March next year. With the formation of two leaves, it is swooped down on permanent place where it will bloom in three years.

Five-year-old plants can be propagated by dividing the bush. Spring is better suited for black hellebore, and autumn for oriental hellebore.

Diseases and pests

• Dangerous for hellebore are slugs that eat leaves, as well as aphids that drink juice. .
• Mice gnaw on plant roots .
• Due to aphids, the flower can get ring spot . When affected by this disease, the diseased parts of the hellebore must be cut and burned, and the plants and the growing place should be treated with a fungicide.
• Sometimes there is a defeat of downy mildew. It is diagnosed from stopping the growth of new leaves, as well as deforming old ones. . The affected areas are also destroyed, and the plant and soil are treated with Previkur.
• Spots on hellebore leaves may indicate anthracnose. Sick leaves should be cut off, and the flower should be treated with a copper-containing preparation.

But in general, diseases affect this plant if something is wrong with the care. For example, the plant lacks moisture or the soil is not that acidic.

Hellebore (Helliborum), he is winter hut- a perennial evergreen open ground plant of the Buttercup family. It is valued by gardeners for its very early flowering, compactness, shade tolerance, "livability" with the neighborhood of trees and shrubs, as well as for the picturesque corners of the garden where it is grown.

Features and Availability

In culture, the plant is not difficult, however, you need to know some of its features and take them into account when planting, growing and propagating. Planting material is purchased from seed stores, gardening fairs, or from private owners. Most often these are divisions of overgrown bushes or annual seedlings.

Important: All parts of the plant are poisonous. While working with it, care and overalls - gloves are required. Children and animals should not be allowed to come into contact with the plant.

Planting hellebore

Landing methods

On the site, it is possible to plant acquired seedlings or divisions of hellebore bushes, which are placed immediately in a permanent place. With the seed method of planting, it is important to purchase fresh seeds- when buying, it is recommended to pay attention to the year of collection, because. after six months, the germination of seeds decreases by half, and after a year - by almost 100%. But even with freshly packaged seeds, good germination is not guaranteed; industrial seeds do not always germinate well due to overdrying.

Optimal time

Sowing seeds and planting plants is carried out from spring to autumn. The main thing is not to overdo it planting material out of the habitat, but to place it in the ground as soon as possible after acquisition. Autumn plantings must be completed before mid-September - divisions and seedlings need time to root.

substrate

The land under the winter quarters needs moisture-intensive, but not dense - the water should not stagnate. The increased acidity of the soil inhibits the plant, so it must be neutralized. To do this, you can add lime, dolomite flour or a little ash to the soil. These additives must be thoroughly mixed with the soil, avoiding contact with hellebore roots. The planting hole can be filled with rotted manure or compost.

Location and lighting

The plant vegetates well with light shading in summer time, for example, under the canopy of trees or at the fence with south side. By themselves Sun rays no harm will be done to the plant, but since the hellebore loves coolness, hot suns should be avoided.

Air humidity

In our latitudes, there is rarely a prolonged scorching heat. But even with prolonged drought, the aerial part of the plant does not suffer, because. by summer, flowering is already over, and hard leaves are resistant to adverse weather conditions.

Watering

Usually the plant has enough moisture coming from natural sources- melting snow, rain, dew. The ground around the hellebore can be mulched with rotted manure or compost to prevent water from evaporating from the soil. It is not recommended to use sawdust and bark for these purposes, because. this contributes to the acidification of the soil. But, since the winter hut most often grows in the shade, complete drying of the earthen layer is extremely rare - it does not need to be watered.

top dressing

When growing in open ground, the plant is well supplied with nutrients. Excess fertilizer is more harmful to hellebore than their lack. Usually he is content with what he gets from feeding trees growing nearby. It is possible to apply phosphorus-potassium fertilizers once at the end of summer or autumn. But this procedure can also be replaced by mulching the soil with sleeping tea or coffee. This coating will provide a safe wintering and feed the plant.

Important: In the first year after planting in a new place, the plant is not fertilized!

The plant does not need formative pruning.

Trimming methods

Diseased and dried leaves, as well as fruits with seeds, are removed in a timely manner, if the bush is not planned to grow by self-sowing.

Transfer

If for some reason it is required to change the place of growth of the winter hut, then the transplant should be carried out with great care - the plant does not respond well to movement.

Transplant method

A pit for planting is prepared in advance. At the bottom of it, as a drainage and long-term fertilizer, you can put plant remains, for example, dry branches, banana peels, egg shells, the same drunk tea. Sprinkling all this with a thin layer of soil, they are taken directly to the plant. They dig it out with as large an earthy clod as possible, so as not to expose or damage the roots. Carefully transferred to a new place and immediately placed in a pit. At the same time, it is desirable to maintain the same orientation to the cardinal points. The voids are filled with excavated soil, the soil around is compacted with irrigation. The first time after transplantation, water more often than usual.

reproduction

Usually carried out in early summer, after flowering. But it is possible to carry out at the end of summer, as well as at the beginning of autumn.

Reproduction methods

• Division of the bush: carried out during transplantation. Division is subjected to sufficiently mature plants, tk. hellebore grows very slowly, and in the first years it does not yet grow to the size of a division. You can simply separate a part of the bush with a spade bayonet and remove it from the ground, leaving the mother liquor in place. But usually they dig up the whole bush and divide its rhizome into several parts with sprouts or buds. Disinfect slices, fill landing pits and plant the remaining plants on the site again. Excess planting material is easily sold - there is always a demand for hellebore.
• Seeds: a month after flowering, the hellebore fruit is removed, without waiting for it to dry and crack. Seeds can also be sown unripe - during summer stratification in the ground, they will reach safely. Sow in open ground in May - June, immediately after harvest. A plot for seedlings is chosen in the shade. The seeding depth is 1–2 cm. Seeds will germinate in the best case in spring, but they can also in a year or two. If the seedlings are thick, then they are planted and left to winter here, in the shkolka. On the next year young shoots are planted in a permanent place or in containers for sale. Seedlings bloom in 3 years.

Important: Hellebore does not propagate by cuttings!

Bloom

flower shape

The hellebore flower is essentially 5 perianth petals. Real petals have turned into nectaries. The diameter of the flower is from 8 to 15 cm, the color is different, depending on the type and variety.

flowering time

V middle lane In Russia and in the north, hellebores bloom during the melting of snow, earlier than other primroses. V southern regions some species may bloom in November - December.

Problems and pests

• With stagnant moist and warm air, hellebore can be affected by fungal diseases. For prophylaxis, avoid close planting of plants, provide free air circulation.
• With increased acidity of the soil, ugly leaves sometimes appear on the leaves. brown spots. Such leaves are cut off, and an alkalizing substance is introduced into the soil.
• Of the pests, slugs and snails can annoy, they are easy to collect by hand. Aphids may appear on weakened plants in the first half of summer, but young leaves will soon become stiff and inedible.

Popular types

• Black hellebore (Helleborusniger) –natural look originally from the Mediterranean, it blooms in December with snow-white flowers, the diameter of which is 8 cm. The peculiarity of the flowers is erect, the heads do not fall, like other hellebores. There is hybrid varieties with larger pink flowers. We bloom in spring, in the south of the country, earlier flowering is possible. Black named for the color of the rhizome. Seeds are poorly propagated.
• Eastern hellebore (Helleborusorientalis) - a natural species native to the Middle East. Plant height is about 30 cm. Flowers are white, cream, pink, lilac, purple, often speckled inside. Very winter-hardy. Many highly decorative hybrids have been created based on this species.
• Caucasian hellebore (Helleborus caucasicus)– nature of the Caucasus. A plant with white-green flowers, sometimes with a yellow tint. Evergreens are especially decorative. shiny leaves. The most poisonous of all hellebore.
• Smelly hellebore (Helleborusfoetidus) – numerous not too large flowers of a pale green scale. Large palmate leaves give the plant an exotic look. This species easily and quickly propagates by self-sowing.

Note to florist

• The reaction to transplanting or dividing a plant may be the absence of flowering for 1 - 2 seasons. When deciding to move the hellebore, you must be prepared for this.
• Shelter for the winter is required only in areas where harsh winters happen without a sufficient amount of snow. With a snow cover of 20 cm or more, the hellebore hibernates without shelter, but with such an amount of snow, the plant can be mechanically damaged - trampled or broken. Then flowering will come a little later, after the germination of sleeping buds.
• After flowering, very old leaves die off, new ones appear in their place. It is important to keep them until the winter and next season as a source of nutrition and building material for a plant.

Answers to frequently asked questions

If the plant is not disturbed by frequent transplants, then it can grow in one place for 20 or more years, gradually spreading to the sides and forming a picturesque curtain. Choosing a landing site should take into account this factor.

Why doesn't hellebore bloom?

The plant blooms so early that it is possible to miss its flowering if it appears irregularly on the plot. After the snow has completely melted, it’s too late to wait for flowering - it has already happened. All spring, summer and autumn hellebore builds up green mass, representing a non-flowering bush.

There may be a lack of flowering after transplanting or dividing the bush, as well as when growing one- or two-year-old seedlings.

How to care for hellebore in winter?

Care for a plant wintering in the ground is not required. In winters with little snow, cover with spruce spruce branches or a layer of compost. At the end of winter, it must be removed.

Hellebore - decorative and undemanding plants that will brighten up any garden early beauty. We wish you good luck in growing!

There are many legends and tales about this amazing flower: some say that the plant is able to protect against evil spirits and diseases, while others talk about its divine origin. Perhaps that is why in Europe so many skilled gardeners are happy to plant this herbaceous perennial, and in Germany it is considered a traditional gift for Christmas.

Everyone wants to buy a garden unpretentious flower hellebore (Helleborus), regularly buy terry varieties of different colors in the markets, and plants grow in the garden with simple greenish-white buds.

Why do sellers fake? Mainly due to the difficulty of breeding bright terry varieties hellebore. After all, such plants propagate only vegetatively, and they cost solid money. Tell me, how can a buyer not be tempted when they offer a “chic varietal hellebore” for almost nothing?

The plant received the name "harrow" due to its amazing qualities - it is not at all afraid of frost. Peduncles develop right under the snow, and when the oppression weakens, they get out. So they stick out of the snow among last year's leaves that have preserved the greenery.

To give the most accurate description garden flower hellebore, it is necessary to start with the fact that it is a herbaceous perennial plant, the height of which rarely reaches more than 50 cm. It is characterized by a short rhizome, a stem without lateral branches, leathery foliage and extraordinary beauty cupped flowers. Zimovnik differs in that its riot of colors combines soft cream, purple, deep black, canary and purple undertones. Different types of hellebore can have simple or terry-edged buds.

From mid-April to the end of May, hellebores are pleasing to the eye. So long for spring flowers. How do they do it? Strictly speaking, what we take to be petals are overgrown sepals. This is what prolongs the period of decorativeness, because even after setting and shedding seeds, the sepals remain on the plant, turning pale, but retaining the illusion of flowering.

It is not only the early flowering that makes the winter hut a truly extraordinary treasure for every landscape design: traits such as drought tolerance and hardiness allow it to be planted in almost any soil and climatic conditions. However, it should be remembered that a seemingly harmless perennial is fraught with surprises: it, like all members of the Buttercup family, is very poisonous.

How to plant hellebore on the site

Hellebore are wonderful hardy plants that you can plant and forget about care for many years. They will not endure unless the swamps. Year by year they only become more beautiful, the bush is more powerful, the flowers are more numerous. The leaves of hellebore hibernate, but in the spring they quickly lose their decorative effect. Best of all, after winter, such a type of hellebore as black and its varieties is preserved.

It should be noted that in one area, the "Christmas rose" can grow safely for a whole decade, and that is why the choice of a place for planting it must be approached wisely. If you take this process lightly, then you need to be prepared for the fact that the transplant, which given plant does not like it very much, it will negatively affect the health of the herbaceous pet.

Despite the fact that planting a cold-resistant hellebore flower can be carried out in any climatic conditions, gardeners recommend giving preference to such soil as drained clay, which will be sufficiently moist and loose. It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that one should not be afraid to plant perennials near other bushes and trees. In a well-equipped garden, hellebore feels great next to ferns, corydalis, crocuses.

Often hellebore sell in early spring and even in February. The seedlings are rootlets placed in peat. It is difficult to save them: the roots that do not yet “work” are prone to rot. They need to be planted as soon as possible in pots with a very poor loose soil(peat mixed with coarse sand) and kept in a cool place almost dry. You need to water a little in the pan or around the perimeter of the pot. They are planted as soon as the snow melts (to be sure, cover the plant with lutrasil).

It is important to know that planting in open ground and further care for the hellebore will be successful only if the gardener has chosen for this plant species such as black, smelly, oriental or Caucasian wintering.

You need to warn yourself against buying hellebore with bare roots. Such plants are sold at garden ruins. Weakened plants are unlikely to survive. In addition, the planting material, most likely, is of dubious origin.

Pay attention to the photo proper fit and further care for hellebore: except that pits for seedlings must be made small size- about 30x30x30 - they should be dug at a distance of at least 30 cm from each other, so that in the future the care of the plants will go smoothly and be easy. Beginning gardeners should also take into account the fact that dug holes must be covered with compost halfway. Note: the process of planting the "Christmas rose" itself is best done in April or early September. After the hellebore is planted, it is necessary to take care of its care - we are talking about watering (abundant and frequent in the first three weeks), mulching, weeding and protection from pests and diseases.

How to grow hellebore and how to propagate this garden flower

Look carefully at the photo of the hellebore garden flower: if you take a responsible approach not only to the process of placing a plant in the garden, but also to further care behind him, the winter hut will give a lush color every year:

1. Caring for a perennial is not something difficult and difficult to accomplish.
2. First of all, in early spring, when buds are about to begin to appear, you just need to remove the dried old foliage so that it does not become a focus of infection and fungal blotch for new shoots and shoots.
3. Secondly, after flowering stops and fades, it is imperative to mulch the ground around the seedlings with compost or peat.
4. Thirdly, in summer period it is necessary to regularly water the winter hut and carefully weed and loosen the area where it grows.
5. Experienced gardeners also advise not only to take planting and further care of hellebore flowers seriously, but also to feed it, which should be done at least 2 times per season. Usually used for this bone flour or mineral fertilizers.

It is possible to propagate hellebore by seeds, but it is not so simple. If you sow fresh seeds, they will sprout in the spring, dried ones will need two periods of stratification, that is, two winters. And flowering will have to wait 3-4 years.

However, those who decide on this method of reproduction should know a few useful tips. One of them concerns the fact that the seeds of the plant must be sown immediately after they mature and are harvested - that is, around the end of June. You also need to understand how to properly plant a hellebore using seedlings: in particular, the material is placed in loose and well-moistened soil to a depth of at least one and a half centimeters. Shoots can be observed next year, in March. Only after the sprouts have a few leaves, they can be moved to the flower bed, where they should be for another two years.

Pay attention to the photo of the hellebore garden flower, the description of which was presented above: This plant was not born with the help of seed method reproduction, but thanks to the division of the bush. This technique involves digging out five-year-old winterers, dividing their root system into parts and seating them in new places. It should be noted that in this way a species called black can be bred in spring, and oriental in autumn.

Care when growing hellebore: control of pests and flower diseases

Pay attention to the photo of hellebore flowers: after planting, as part of plant care, in order to get such lush bloom, protection against numerous threats is also mandatory.

One of the terrible enemies of the "Christmas rose" is aphids, and slugs that love to eat leaves, caterpillars and mice also cause a lot of trouble. Rodent pests are fought with baits with poisoned food, but slugs will have to be collected manually. In addition, the rest of the pests will need to be destroyed using insecticides - for example, actellik and biotlin.

Taking care of the hardy hellebore flower, Special attention it is necessary to pay attention to all kinds of diseases of this plant. Ring spot and anthracnose bring a lot of harm to the perennial and grief to true gardeners. However, experts try not to despair, and fight necrosis - spotting - by removing and burning damaged parts of the winter hut. Anthracnose, which appears as dark brown spots, is treated with preparations that necessarily contain copper.

If the cultivation and care of hellebore flowers is approached responsibly, then the plant has tremendous endurance and resistance to such diseases and pest attacks. However, when a novice gardener does not follow the basic rules - for example, planting a "Christmas rose" in soil with high acidity - the winter hut becomes vulnerable, as a result of which it begins to hurt.

That is why experienced craftsmen beginners are advised to make sure that the chosen site is suitable for the flower before starting to grow hellebore. To do this, you need to take a soil sample - a teaspoon will be enough - pour the earth on the glass and carefully pour the vinegar. In the event that a lot of foam has appeared, it means that there is an excess of potassium salts in the soil, the average amount of white flakes indicates the neutral acidity of the soil, but the lack of foaming indicates that it is time to fertilize the site dolomite flour or wood ash

Winter hut for planting in the garden: features of species and varieties (with photo)

Quite a few species and varieties are suitable for cultivation in central Russia.

This hellebore black (El. niger) with white flowers reddish (N. purpurascens) with reddish green flowers Oriental (N. orientalis) With purple flowers, Caucasian (N. caucasicus), having greenish-white flowers with purple speckles in the center, Abkhazian (El. abchasicus)- wine-red, the brightest of the species. All these plants are winter-hardy and reliable, live long and do not require any care, except for mulching with foliage.

To know how to grow different types hellebore, it is necessary to study in more detail information about their natural environment growth, features and existing varieties.

For example, the so-called black wintering is considered one of the most popular among gardeners. The thing is that the plant is distinguished by large pale pink flowers, the core of which is striking in its snow-whiteness. This variety blooms for no more than two weeks - in early April. However, its amazing winter hardiness - the perennial can withstand -35 ºC - compensates for such a short period of riot of colors. Pay attention to the photo with varieties of black hellebore: Potters Will has the largest snow-white buds among all the brothers, and Prakoks begins to bloom in November.

The reddish winterer adorns any garden for a whole month - April - with rich purple buds. It began to be cultivated two centuries ago.

Look at the photo of such types of hellebore as eastern and Abkhazian: the first is distinguished by exquisite lilac flowers, and the second by bright red. It should be noted that the eastern winter hut is very often subjected to fungal infections. But the Abkhaz "Christmas rose" is attractive because it has different varieties.

Found in landscape design and Caucasian hellebore: it is covered with yellowish-green buds at the end of April and lasts for several weeks. However, you need to pay attention to the fact that this particular species is considered to be the most poisonous.

Hellebore is rarely grown in gardens due to slow growth and growing difficulties. However, the flower will reward the gardener early flowering and beautiful delicate flowers.

What is a frostbite

Hellebore or Zimovnik belongs to the Buttercup family. It's perennial herbaceous plant, whose name indicates the ability of the plant to bloom in the cold season.

The genus includes 14 species, most of which grow in Europe, the East and the Mediterranean. Representatives of almost all species can be found in the Balkans.

Plant characteristic:

• Hellebore leaves are long-leaved, basal, leathery.
• The flowers have 5 non-falling sepals, which are white, green or purple.
• Small petals act as nectaries. Some species are honey plants.
• Hellebore prefers cold weather and thrives best in shade and highlands. The opportunity to grow hellebore appeared due to the development of hybrid varieties.

V southern regions flowering begins at the end of February, possibly later if the frosts are prolonged. Before hellebore blooms only and. Hellebore can bloom before the snow has melted. In the middle lane, the flowering period falls in April and lasts about a month.

Hellebore is highly resistant to frost, begins to bloom either in winter or early spring, the foliage is evergreen. On private plots, both ornamental and medicinal forms of hellebore are grown.

The traditional type of hellebore is the Christmas rose. It has white flowers that grow with age pink shade. The surface of the petals can be terry or smooth, the flower can be larger or smaller in diameter, it all depends on the choice of variety.

The most popular type of hellebore for cultivation is Helleborus orientalis. Flowering begins in early March and stands out well on the site. Black and white hellebores are widely used in folk medicine. You need to be extremely careful with white hellebore, as it is highly poisonous. At misuse black hellebore may experience suffocation, dizziness, swelling, vomiting, cardiac arrest.

The composition of plants includes iervin, cyclopamine, teratogen, veratrin. traditional medicine does not recommend using the plant for treatment on its own. Glycosides and alkaloids that descend into the composition of the flower have cardiotonic properties. hellebore is unique plant. Differs in early blossoming, high decorative effect and medicinal properties.

Choose a place on the site should be based on the natural habitat. The hellebore extends along the edges of forests and mountains, so swampy soils and windy places are categorically not suitable for it. The plant will not die in the sun, but you will need to make sure that it does not burn the petals and the plant does not die from drought.

To grow a hellebore on your own, you need to spend preliminary work with soil:

• The soil must be provided with a good drainage system. Without drainage, dense hellebore roots can rot due to excess moisture.
• Ideal conditions for a flower are in the shade of conifers or fruit trees. Leaves falling in autumn will cover flowers and protect from winter frosts.
• When the hellebore grows, it forms wide curtains, they adorn the garden not only during flowering.

Other spring-flowering plants and are suitable for the composition. Nearby, cereals with ferns will also get along well if there is no desire to create a flowering composition. The main thing is that neighboring plants do not cover the hellebore. Designers prefer to plant white flowers and purple, pink flowers nearby, it turns out gently and unobtrusively.

The plant needs a lot of nutrients, so the soil must be fertile, pH neutral. Strongly acidic soil will have to be additionally limed. Growing culture is not easy. It develops slowly, poorly adapts to a new place. When planting plants, you need to purchase immediately a large number of sprouts. If you plant just a few specimens and wait for them to grow, it will take several years.

Plants are planted at a distance of 40 cm. Having planted a plant once, the soil can not be changed for about 10 years.

The hellebore loves plenty of water. In order for the flower to actively develop and bloom luxuriantly, it must be watered regularly, soft, settled water is used. In order to retain moisture for a large amount of time, hellebore after flowering is mulched with compost, decomposed peat or sawdust.

As such, the plant does not need fertilizing, all necessary substances it takes from the soil. But it will be superfluous to apply mineral fertilizers several times over the entire summer season. Before flowering, old leaves are cut off. They will not leave excess nutrients, plus this will be the prevention of a fungal infection.

Hellebore reproduces in two ways: by seeds and by dividing the bush. The first one is much more technically difficult and takes a lot of time. But there is an opportunity to get a large number of plants at once and enjoy the process of getting a flower from scratch.

Propagation by seeds:

• After acquiring seeds, you need to start dealing with them immediately. Seeds must be fresh, as they lose their viability quickly. The ideal option is the self-collection of seeds from flowering plant and fast landing. If you store seeds in a paper bag for more than six months, there is a big risk that not a single seed will germinate.
• The most important thing is not to overdry the seeds, it is much better if they are slightly unripe. In the second case, they will ripen after a while, and in the first case, nothing will save them.
• At the end of flowering, seeds are collected and immediately planted in the ground.
• They are buried in the soil by 1 centimeter.
• If the conditions are favorable, then shoots will appear next year, the maximum will have to wait 3 years.

If the seeds are purchased at the store, then they can be planted later, but not earlier than 3 months before frost. You can also plant seeds in boxes. At first they are kept at room temperature, after which they are moved to the refrigerator or basement. The soil must always be moist. The box must be periodically taken out to inspect the ground, it should not have mold. The least mold forms in peat-sand soil (3 parts of peat and 1 part of sand).

In the spring, the first leaves should already appear. After that, each sprout is dived into separate pots and left in them until September. After that, the sprouts can be transplanted into open ground, but you can count on flowering only in the 4th year.

The division of the bush is carried out in early spring. During this period, the roots are at rest, so it will be easier for them to transfer.

Hellebore does not tolerate transplanting, so there is a risk of complete loss of the flower. The most innocuous thing that can happen to hellebore is the lack of flowering in the first year after breeding.

Do-it-yourself reproduction of hellebore is a laborious task, beginners need to study the theory and reviews well before proceeding with the operation.

More information can be found in the video.