Great Design Plant: Gold Collection Hellebores Perform Like Stars
Hellebores are a mainstay of my winter garden. Tolerant of deer, drought, rabbits and shade, they meet my criteria for a low-maintenance, evergreen perennial. Yet not all hellebores are equal. Thankfully gone are the days of the coarse-leaved, somewhat straggly hellebores with flowers that faced the ground. The foliage of those older hybrids typically had to be removed so you could see the flowers, but it was so prone to fungal leaf spot that removal was necessary anyway.
I have high expectations of newer hybrids; I look for compact plants that bloom for months in a variety of colors, flowers that face outward so I can enjoy them without getting on my hands and knees, and attractive, healthy foliage. The Gold Collection of hellebores offers all that and more, truly earning their gold status. This series features several different hybrids, each with unique traits. The ones showcased here exhibit superior performance over the Lenten rose of yesteryear. I have used them in containers as well as landscape designs, finding the excuse to add more to my garden each year.
Here are five of my favorites.
Botanical name: Helleborus x ballardiae Gold Collection (except Helleborus x ericsmithii Gold Collection ‘Monte Cristo’)
Common name: Gold Collection hellebores
Origin: Garden hybrid
Where they will grow: Hardy to -40 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 4 or 5 to 7; find your zone)
Water requirement: Low to average
Light requirement: Partial to full shade, but blooms best in dappled shade
Bloom time: December to April, depending on variety
Mature size: Up to 2 feet tall and wide, depending on variety
Shown: Merlin Hellebore
1. ‘Pink Frost’. I fell in love with this spectacular hellebore as soon as it was introduced. Big, fat pink buds explode into a remarkable display of flowers from November to April.
Each tall, red stem bears multiple large blooms in shades of pink, burgundy and deep red; those colors are set off perfectly by the silvery green foliage. Each plant will grow into a healthy 2-foot mound. If you have room for only one hellebore, I highly recommend ‘Pink Frost’.
2. ‘Merlin’. ‘Merlin’ casts a colorful spell in the shade garden. Each flower opens pale pink and ages to a warm rose before finally maturing to a dusky cranberry shade. At any one time, all three colors are found on this plant.
As if that weren’t enough, the foliage and stems are darker than those of ‘Pink Frost’, creating a truly magical display. Indeed I would grow this as a foliage plant even if it never bloomed. You can easily make space for ‘Merlin’, which grows to 15 inches tall and wide. Better still, buy at least three.
3. ‘Cinnamon Snow’. Think of a decadent vanilla bean ice cream topped with warm caramel sauce, and you have ‘Cinnamon Snow’.
Creamy white flowers have a soft cinnamon blush that makes them perfect to partner with copper autumn ferns (Dryopteris erythrosora) in a partially shaded container or border. Dark green foliage allows the blooms to shine yet is attractive and healthy even without the floral show.
‘Cinnamon Snow’ is ideal for including in your holiday containers, as it flowers from early December through February, and as it’s just 2 feet tall and wide, you’ll easily find room.
4. ‘Maestro’. This beauty is at the top of my wish list for 2014. Dusky rose buds open to blush-pink flowers that are softer in color than those of ‘Merlin’, yet they have the same red stems. ‘Maestro’ forms a nice compact clump, and at 16 inches tall and with a spread of 20 inches, it is similar in size to ‘Pink Frost’. ‘Maestro’ blooms from February to April.
5. ‘Monte Cristo’. At first glance it may appear very similar to ‘Cinnamon Snow’, but those who look for that perfect shade when combining plants will appreciate the peach blush on these creamy white flowers. The foliage also has more silvery blue tints yet exhibits the deep red stems that I especially appreciate.
‘Monte Cristo’ is a little smaller than ‘Cinnamon Snow’, at 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide, but equally floriferous.
Tell us: Will you plant a Gold Collection hellebore?
More: What to do in your garden by region
