Re: Help identifying hellebores?
- Subject: Re: Help identifying hellebores?
- From: M* T*
- Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 01:56:36 -0500
Nice pix, Chris...what are you apologizing for? If half of my photos
came out a quarter as good as yours do!...
Anyway, there is (I believe) still some controversy about naming
Hellebore hybrids, but IMO, the accepted practice is using Helleborus
x hybridus. The reason for this, according to what I've read, is
that, while most of them may have H. orientalis in their bloodline,
they will also have a lot of other species. I understand that the
true H. orientalis is very seldom seen.
Since this is a relatively new practice, you will run into them
labeled H. orientalis in gardens, in nursery catalogs and in
assorted current articles as well as any older publications.
Your first one is a red...I would imagine UK breeder, Graham Birkin
would call it a dark red. Very nice, rich color IMO.
Second is a pink (looks a very nice pink, fading back to green as
most do in your photo), third a lovely white and your last is a
spotted white. Spotted is definitely a separate type of form.
Graham separates his hybrids into color groupings as well as doubles,
anemone, picotee and spotted.
So, in answer to your actual question, FWIW, I'd label them:
H. x hybridus dark red
H. x hybridus pink
H. x hybridus white
H. x hybridus spotted white
You probably haven't hit Graham's site recently, but if you surf on
over there, you will see how he designates colors.....from dark red
to red, etc. While he maintains he has some true reds, the general
opinion on hellebore list is that there is no such thing...makes for
some interesting discussion.
http://www.hellebores.hort.net/
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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> From: Christopher P. Lindsey <lindsey@mallorn.com>
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> A couple of weeks ago I took a trip down to South Carolina to
visit
> some gardens and take some plant pictures.
>
> While at the Riverbanks Zoo & Botanical Garden I stumbled across
several
> huge patches of hellebores in bloom. All were simply listed as
> Helleborus orientalis.
>
> I personally don't know much about Hellebores yet. I have
Graham Rice's
> book on order to help me in the future, but it's not here yet
and I'm
> trying to label my slides *now*. :)
>
> Here are the pictures (only four):
>
> http://www.mallorn.com/~lindsey/sc/helhyaa40.jpg
> http://www.mallorn.com/~lindsey/sc/helhybb40.jpg
> http://www.mallorn.com/~lindsey/sc/helhycc40.jpg
> http://www.mallorn.com/~lindsey/sc/helhydd40.jpg
>
> I know they're far from perfect, but maybe they can help
group/identify
> these plants.
>
> What I'm wondering is how to classify them. For example, should
the
> first one be listed as something like Helleborus x hybridus
(red),
> or should it be listed as Helleborus orientalis (Red).
>
> Or are there further classifications and groupings for these?
>
> As you can tell, I'm a total neophyte when it comes to
Hellebores. Any
> help that you can give me is greatly appreciated. :)
>
> Thanks,
>
> Chris
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