niger may benefit from a side-dressing of Epsom salts or dolomitic lime. Apply a light application of balanced or slow-release fertilizer or side-dress with compost and organic amendments when new growth appears.Do not prune back now wait until early spring.If seedlings are not desired, remove old flowers before the seed is set.Īlthough plants may be slow to settle in, once they do, they rarely need division and may resent it.

foetidus), because they carry the flower buds formed in the previous growing season. Remove old flower stems when they decline, cutting back to basal foliage, but take care not to remove the stems of Bear’s-foot Hellebore ( H.Prune back dead and disfigured foliage before new growth appears. Although evergreen, the foliage often looks tattered in early spring.The larger, more exuberantly colored varieties or double forms are a great addition to the shady border. Hellebores are lovely with other denizens of light shade such as: Watch for slug or snail damage, and control with baits or diatomaceous earth. Plants will benefit from a light application of granular, balanced fertilizer in early spring.niger) may be slow to become established to help it along, try a dose of magnesium in the form of Epsom salts or dolomitic limestone sprinkled around the plants. The hybrids known as Helleborus x hybridus (previously called Helleborus orientalis) prefer a soil pH close to neutral and even alkaline add lime if your soil is extremely acid.Hellebores grow best in soil enriched with copious amounts of organic matter.Water well during extended dry periods they are drought-tolerant once established.Hellebores are at their best in evenly moist well-drained soil in partial shade.Resistant to both deer and voles, they are long-lived and provide exquisite blooms at a time when flowers are a scarce delight. Most bloom in early winter in mild climates and in late winter or very early spring where the ground freezes hard. These evergreen plants bring an architectural quality to the shady garden.

Symphytum and helleborus