“A rose is a rose is a rose,’ Gertrude Stein famously wrote. But sometimes a rose is not, in fact, a rose. The perennial “Christmas rose” (Helleborus niger) is more closely related to buttercups than true roses, but the elegant, rose-like configuration of the flowers probably made an earlier generation of flower fanciers think of roses.
“Christmas” became part of the common name because of the plant’s early bloom time. While the blossoms don’t always appear at the end of December, they pop out reliably in mid to late winter. In many climates, they are among the first flowers to bloom. That pleases beauty-starved gardeners, not to mention hungry pollinators. That seasonal appeal, combined with toughness in the face of uncertain weather and temperatures has made the Christmas rose increasingly popular among amateur and professional horticulturists.
According to Maggie Campbell-Culver in her wonderful book, The Origin of Plants, Helleborus niger, native to central and eastern Europe, has been used and appreciated for centuries, and may have arrived in northern Europe as early as Roman times. Its black roots, which gave rise to the “niger” species name and the alternate common name, “black hellebore”, were thought to have medicinal powers, including efficacy in the treatment of a variety of psychological ailments. These days, those same roots (and other plants parts) have the well-documented ability ward off deer and other garden varmints, which is good for many gardeners’ mental health.
The evergreen plants are low growers, rising to a maximum of 12 inches, with a spread of 12 to 18 inches. Like other hellebore species, the dark green leaves are palmate or hand-like and deeply dissected, some with slightly toothed leaves. Helleborus niger flowers bloom atop very short, stem-like structures called “pedumcles”, which are sometimes reddish or spotted.
Handsome leaves and interesting stems are excellent plant features, but the real eye-catchers are the flowers, which are up to two inches wide, and most commonly pristine white, with either rounded or pointed petals. Most varieties boast five petals per flower, though some newer “roses” feature seven petals. Doubles, like ‘Double Fantasy’, have an added row of smaller petals atop the five outer petals. Those petals may also be slightly ruffled, and form halos around the golden stamens that shine out of each bloom’s center. The flowers are long-lived, often lasting at least one month, and age to soft pink. A happy clump of Christmas roses will multiply nicely over time.
Perhaps best of all for those of us who do our gardening in shadowy spaces, Helleborus niger relishes part to full-shade—even dry shade. Good soil is a must, as is protection from cold winter winds. Christmas roses may be a bit slow to establish, but given those minimum requirements, most healthy plants will reward you with years of blooms.
It is not surprising that plant breeders have taken an interest in this beautiful species. Individuals and companies in the Netherlands, Germany, England, America and elsewhere have introduced scores of new Christmas rose varieties, not to mention hybrids. By doing so, they have created plants that are hardier and more floriferous. In some cases, selective breeding has eliminated a trait that makes some people dislike hellebores—nodding or downward-facing flowers. Newer varieties of Helleborus niger smile out from atop the peduncles. A Dutch company, HGC, has pioneered these breeding efforts, introducing varieties that bear its name, like HGC ‘Joseph Lemper’, with big, outward-facing white flowers, pointed at the ends of the wavy petals. Its sibling, HGC ‘Jonas’ is a semi-double, with seven pointed petals instead of five. HGC ‘Jesko” flowers earlier than other varieties, while HGC ‘Winter Gold’ features six-petaled flowers that fade to yellow-green instead of pink, and bear stamens that are even more golden than those of other Christmas roses.
Helleborus niger has also been cross-bred with other species to create new hybrids, like Helleborus x ericsmithii, the result of crossing Helleborus niger with another hybrid, Helleborus x sternii. The result is a slightly taller plant with white flowers tinged with pinkish green. Depending on variety, x ericsmithii may have grey-green palmate leaves that are mottled or veined in white.
Helleborus x ballardii, the offspring of Hellborus niger and a Spanish species, Helleborus lividus, offers greater color choice. ‘Maestro’, a ballardii hybrid features five-petaled pink flowers, plus foliage veined in silver. Its ballardii sibling ‘Pink Frost’ is even rosier in color. Another hybrid, Helleborus x nigercors, is the result of crossbreeding the Christmas rose with Helleborus argutifolius, the Corsican hellebore. Flower colors include pale green, as in the HGC ‘Green Corsican’ variety. Nigercors hybrids have a profuse flowering habit and leaves that are so abundant that they sometimes hide the flowers. (If that happens in your garden, feel free to pluck off any leaves that upstage the blooms. It will not hurt the plant!).
The Christmas rose world grows ever larger with new selections and hybrids introduced regularly. If you decide to brighten the winter landscape with Helleborus niger, provide the plants with a rich, free-draining planting medium. If soil quality is a problem, your young plants will appreciate a high quality soil amendment like Fafard Premium Natural and Organic Compost. Water regularly as the plants establish themselves and during dry spells. Though the species is evergreen, the old leaves sometimes look shopworn in the spring. It pays to remove them to let the flowers and new growth shine through.
