Description
Bearsfoot hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), also known as stinking hellebore (even though it is not stinky), is a handsome evergreen perennial with upright, 1- to 2-foot-tall stems that carry deeply cut, dark green leaves. Toward the end of each stem’s first—or sometimes second—growing season, light green buds appear at the tip. Through the winter, the buds expand, eventually opening to green bells in late winter to early spring. Once the flowers on a given stem ripen their seed, that stem dies, but new ones rise to take its place. (Technically, bearsfoot hellebore is said to be caulescent—unlike the more common Lenten rose hybrids (Helleborus x hybridus), which are acaulescent, meaning that their leaves and their flowers grow directly from a ground-level crown.)
Bearsfoot hellebore plants tend to be deer-resistant but are not deer-proof. Full sun is ok in winter and spring; in summer to fall, though, either all-day light shade or morning sun and afternoon shade is best. Protection from drying winds in winter is a plus. Usually hardy in USDA Zones 6 to 9.
2023-collected seeds are sold out. I hope to collect again in mid to late June 2024. Each packet contains at least 10 seeds. Shipping to US addresses only.
Please read the Germination Information section of this listing as well before ordering these seeds.
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