Description of 25 types and varieties of hellebore, planting and care in open ground

Hellebore requires certain care and adherence to planting rules. The plant pleases with its flowering in early spring, when other crops begin to wake up. There are about 20 types of crops, which served as the basis for the development of new varieties. Heleborus has many colors, different periods of budding and flowering.

Description and features

The perennial plant belongs to the Buttercup family. Heleborus flowers are poisonous and most often have a white color. There are 22 known species, of which varieties are cultivated. Hellebores have dense, leathery green foliage that overwinters with them. It is frost-resistant and drought-resistant. Flowering begins at the end of March and ends in July; the duration of flowering depends on the variety. The grass grows in one place for up to 10 years.

Growing seedlings from seeds

To grow from seeds, it is necessary to prepare planting material in advance, sow the seeds correctly, monitor the seedlings, and correctly plant them in open ground.

Preparation of planting material

Heleborus seeds are collected at the end of flowering. They can also be purchased at flower shops. It is recommended to plant the seeds immediately in a pot, since the longer they sit, the lower their germination rate.

How to sow

To grow seedlings, pour soil into the prepared container, filling it halfway. Pour warm water. Then the seeds are immersed. They are covered with 1.5 cm of soil. Planting is carried out immediately after collecting the seeds, and seedlings appear only in March. After the formation of 3-4 natural leaves, the seedlings are transferred to the ground.

Watering

The plant is provided with abundant watering when it is still young.Water the first week after planting, using 1 liter of water per plant. Pre-settled water or rainwater is used. After 3-4 years of age, the plant is watered once every 2-3 weeks.

Dive

Picking is carried out when the seedlings have the first 3-4 leaves; they can be transplanted into the ground. Choose a suitable semi-shady place, dig holes and transfer the seedlings into them. Each plant is sprinkled with soil in layers, compacting each with your hands. This period usually falls in March. The plant does not produce flowers for the first 3 years.

Growing in open ground

To grow in open ground, you need to choose the right place and soil for cultivation. The seedlings are planted in a certain pattern so that they do not interfere with each other’s development in the future.

Selecting a location

To plant heleborus, choose semi-shaded areas. They develop well when grown under trees with spreading foliage. They are combined with other early types of flowers.

Soil requirement

Heleborus prefers loose airy soils. They are drought-resistant and do not tolerate excess moisture in the soil. Increased water content helps reduce plant immunity and affects the formation of flowers.

Planting scheme

When planting seedlings, dig holes 25 cm deep and 25 cm in diameter. The distance between plants is 30 cm.

Reproduction

Heleborus reproduces through seeds and by dividing bushes. There are types of hellebore that do better when grown from seed, while others reproduce well by division.

Sowing seeds

Seeds are collected in mid-June or July, depending on the timing of flowering. It is recommended to tie the seed box with gauze in advance so that when the seed box breaks, the material remains in it and does not fall on the soil.The collected seeds are transplanted into containers and left until germination.

Dividing bushes

After flowering is completed, the bush is dug up and divided into several parts. Each new bush is planted separately. Such plants continue to grow and produce flowers in the first year.

Care

To obtain lush flowers and long flowering, it is necessary to provide the plant with proper care: monitor watering, fertilize, mulch the bushes, thin out, protect from pests.

Watering

Adult plants are watered every 2-3 weeks. They retain moisture well due to their dense, leathery leaves. Excessive watering can harm hellebores.

Important! During prolonged drought, irrigation increases.

Top dressing

Heleborus practically does not need feeding; it takes all the minerals it needs from the soil and moisture. If you carefully care for the crop, you can apply nitrogen-containing fertilizer one time in the spring. Nitrogen improves flowering.

Mulching

Hellebore mulching is carried out at the end of the summer season. The root part of the plant is covered with hay or fallen leaves. This prevents root rot.

Diseases and pests

Like other crops, heleborus is susceptible to attack by harmful insects and some diseases. To combat them, preventive treatments with chemicals are carried out.

Slugs

Slugs appear on the leaves and stems of the plant in mid-summer. They feed on pieces of plant leaves. The quality of flowering deteriorates. Slugs are collected from leaves and destroyed.

Mice

Mice feed on Heleborus roots. These are small rodents that awaken in mid-spring. To combat them, traps with poison are made on the site.

Aphid

When bushes are overwatered, aphids attack. These are small black insects.They are localized on the underside of the leaf and feed on its sap. Aphids reproduce quickly. Modern insecticides are used to combat them.

Hop fine strand

These are butterflies that lay eggs on hellebore leaves. The eggs hatch into larvae that eat the foliage of the plant. To combat them, the larvae are removed and the flowers are sprayed with insecticides.

Coniothyrium hellebori

A fungal disease that appears when the plant is over-watered. Small gray or black spots form on the leaves. The disease affects the quality of flowering. To combat the fungus, the affected areas of the leaves are removed and treated with antifungal drugs.

Thinning

After flowering ends at the end of the season, the bushes are thinned. If the shoots are very thick, every third one is removed. All damaged and dry shoots are also removed.

Preparing for winter

Heleborus does not need shelter for the winter. Its shoots and foliage tolerate low temperatures well; there is no need to prune them. In September, the plant can be covered with fallen leaves to better cover the roots.

Transfer

Hellebore does not really like changing its growing location. It is transplanted if an unsuitable place is initially selected. The plant grows in one place for about 10 years.

Kinds

Many species of hellebore occur naturally. Plants prefer shaded places to grow. Flower growers grow Heleborus in landscaping areas.

Black

The most common and popular type of hellebore used by gardeners in landscape design. The plant reaches a height of about 30 cm, forms tall peduncles up to 60 cm in height. At the top there are large flowers of double color, which are 8 cm in diameter. The inside of the flower is white and the outside is light pink.Hellebore is a frost-resistant plant that can withstand temperatures down to -35 °C. Its foliage remains green throughout the year, buds form in early April, and flowering lasts 2 weeks.

Oriental

The homeland of this species is the Caucasus. This is a perennial hellebore, reaches a height of 30 cm, produces medium-sized flowers with a diameter of 5 cm. The flowers are light yellow in color with a burgundy edge. The leaves are large and fleshy. This species is susceptible to attack by fungal diseases, which makes it lose its attractiveness. To prevent infection, it is necessary to carry out preventive spraying with fungicides annually.

Smelly

This type of hellebore has stems with abundant foliage. The stems reach a height of 30 cm. The plant forms tall peduncles up to 80 cm. Dense inflorescences are formed at the top, which consist of small flowers. They are bell-shaped. The color of the flowers is light green with a burgundy rim and small specks. This species not only tolerates high frosts, but also easily copes with drought. Hellebore forms a powerful root system that absorbs water from the deep layers of the earth.

Caucasian

This species is least often used on sites, as the plant is very poisonous. The most common Caucasian hellebore is in the Caucasus. It forms tall peduncles 20-50 cm long. At the top there are light yellow flowers with a greenish tint. The flowers are large, diameter 80 mm. The plant produces large, fleshy leaves 15 cm long, which have elongated petioles. The flower tolerates severe frosts. It differs in the duration of flowering, which begins in mid-April and ends in July.

Important! The Caucasian species of hellebore contains the largest amount of poison.

Tuberous

A special type of hellebore. It was obtained by crossing other types of culture. It has a variety of colors. The height of the shoots is 30 cm. They form tall peduncles. The diameter of the flower is 8 cm. The plant tolerates drought and frost well. Tubers form on the roots, which accumulate nutrients and moisture. These substances are distributed throughout the stem through the tubers.

Popular varieties

Breeders from around the world have developed many varieties of Heleborus. Each of them has its own characteristic color and care recommendations.

Potter's Wheel

A plant variety that has the largest flowers. They reach 12 cm in diameter. Refers to the black hellebore species. It has a shoot height of 30 cm and high half-meter peduncles.

Praecox

This variety has a special soft pink color. The plant blooms in November. The leaves remain light green throughout the year.

Double Ellen Red

Belongs to the eastern heleborus, the plant reaches a height of 30 cm, forms long peduncles, at the ends of which there are bright purple double flowers with yellow stamens.

Blushing

Heleborus of this variety produces characteristic bright red flowers. Their diameter is 8 cm. Yellow stamens form inside. The bush tolerates propagation by division and is resistant to frost.

Blue Lady

Belongs to the eastern species of Heleborus. The plant has light green leaves, forms corollas with five ash-purple petals with a burgundy edge. Inside there are bright light yellow stamens.

HGC Joshua

Refers to the black type of Heleborus. It is distinguished by its earliest flowering, which begins in November. Produces flowers with a light beige color.

Pracox

Refers to the black type of culture. Forms soft pink flowers with a diameter of 8 cm. Peduncles are tall, up to 30 cm. Flowering begins in April and lasts 10-14 days.

White Swan

Refers to the eastern species of hellebore. The plant is short, about 30 cm, produces milky-white flowers of small diameter, about 50 mm.

Rock and Roll

Also refers to the eastern species of hellebore. It produces white flowers with crimson speckles, which is a distinctive feature of the variety.

Blue Anemone

The low perennial plant belongs to the oriental species. Produces flowers of medium size, soft purple color.

Lady Series

This is a special variety of eastern hellebore, the bushes of which reach 40 cm in height. When flowering, flowers of six different colors are formed at the top of the shoots.

Violet

A hybrid variety that has lush white inflorescences with a fluffy core. Each flower has a diameter of 5 to 8 cm. A thin light pink border is formed along the edge. Low frost-resistant perennial plant.

Bellinda

The hybrid variety produces double flowers with a green rim and a greenish-pink section on each petal. The plant reaches a height of 30 cm. The leaves are bright green and fleshy.

Queen of the Knight

This variety produces bright, dark purple flowers with bright yellow stamens. Refers to a hybrid species of hellebore.

Orientalis

Belongs to the eastern species. Forms lush inflorescences with a diameter of 5 cm. The stems are low, about 30 cm, varied in color: from light purple to black.

Niger

Refers to the black type of Heleborus. Niger got its name from its characteristic black roots.It reaches a height of 30 cm, forms tall peduncles up to 50 cm, with snow-white corollas on which there are small burgundy specks.

Collection and storage of seeds

Seeds are formed in capsules after flowering ends. Then the boxes are torn and the seeds are spilled onto the ground. New shoots form from them in March. To collect the seeds, each box is tied with a piece of gauze, then the seeds will not fall on the ground, but will remain in the fabric.

Important! The earlier you plant the seeds, the higher their germination rate.

When it blooms

Depending on the variety, hellebore blooms begin in March. The duration varies, some varieties bloom for up to 2 months, and some for only two weeks. This is the advantage of culture. Flowering occurs at a time when other plants begin to wake up.

Application in landscape design

Hellebore is planted next to trees and shrubs. Separate flower beds with Heleborus of different varieties are also formed. Flowers are often combined with other winter-hardy species: chiondox, crocus, snowdrop.

Properties of hellebore

Hellebore flowers are poisonous. When used correctly and in small dosages, the plant has a therapeutic effect. Its roots are used in folk medicine to improve the condition of the body and complex treatment of diseases. Heleborus has the following beneficial properties:

• regulates the body's metabolic processes;
• normalizes blood pressure;
• reduces blood glucose levels;
• has an antiseptic effect;
• helps remove excess fluid from the body;
• has an antioxidant effect;
• cleanses the gastrointestinal tract;
• relieves acute headaches;
• helps cope with colds;
• prevents the development of tumors.

Important! The use of Heleborus should be discussed with a doctor to select the right dosage and avoid overdose.

Use in folk medicine

In folk medicine, decoctions, powders and infusions are prepared from the roots of the plant. The roots are collected in September, after flowering has ended. They are washed well and cleared of soil. Then dried at a temperature of 40-45 ° C. The roots retain their healing properties for 2 years.

This remedy helps with obesity. Using Heleborus for 4 weeks will help you get rid of 5-6 kg without exhausting diets and fasting.

Consequences of overdose

In case of an overdose of hellebore poisons, the following symptoms appear:

• tinnitus;
• strong thirst;
• dry mouth;
• swelling of the larynx;
• difficulty breathing;
• dizziness;
• chest pain.

The plant contains a large number of poisons that affect the cardiovascular system. Poisoning is possible after the first use. The dosage must be selected together with your doctor.