Re: Lenten rose
- To:
- Subject: Re: Lenten rose
- From: M* T*
- Date: Wed, 17 May 2000 04:49:38 -0400
Janet,
If you want true to name or type plants, the only way to get them is
via division. Hellebores won't grow from cuttings and, so far, there
has been little success with tissue culture. I always thought they
shouldn't be divided, but Graham Birkin told me this spring that he
always divides his clumps at least every 8 years or so - the ones he
doesn't use for sale divisions, which are done every 3 years. You
should never divide them more often than that. He says they get
woody and die out in the center after 8 years...can't say I've
noticed mine doing that, but he's in the UK and the climate may make
a difference. In general, these are not plants who like division.
Their roots go very deep. You can only divide the acaulescent
species and hybrids. You can not divide the caulescent ones (like H.
foetidus and H. argutifolius).
Division needs to be done, really, in fall (late August to October),
when they are making new root growth - that is, if you are in a mild
climate or have a greenhouse or other protected area to winter the
divisions in. If you do divide, you must not allow the roots to dry
out at all.
That said, I've never had courage to divide mine and they are older
than that.
Hellebores will seed around if happy - to the point of weediness in
some species. You never get plants the same as the parent except
with the species grown isolated from others with whom they can cross.
There are, however, strains of hybrids grown from seed that come
true or very close to it, enough so that they can be sold as color
strains - but with seed, you always take a chance that what you grow
on will not be what you expected.
I have not noticed mulch or leaf litter stopping seedlings from
germinating. What you want to do is have the mulch in place before
the seed ripens and drops...don't mulch after seed drop.
There are lovely color strains of Hellebores being developed.
Someone else posted Graham Birkin's site - go there if you want to
see blue, black, spotted, doubles, anemone forms and colors to die
for.
Gene's right...try H. foetidus 'Wester Flisk' strain - lovely plants
(green flowers with cream bracts that light up the garden) and easy
from seed and easy to please and also flower sooner than the H. x
hybridus bunch...a totally different Hellebore; gets tall, is
caulescent as opposed to acaulescent. The most true strains have
wine stained stems and nodes and a thin wine colored line around the
outer edge of each flower. The red color is most pronounced, I find,
in cool weather and before bloom.
I will toot my horn here and recommend you check out the series of
articles I did on Hellebores last year - have lots of pix of
different kinds, plus last article was on Graham Birkin's hellebores
with pix of him and his. Doing that article really got me totally
hooked on hellebores! Fabulous plants!
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/shade_gardening/17614
Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@clark.net
Editor: Gardening in Shade
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> From: Janet N. Yang <jyang1@home.com>
> Date: Saturday, May 13, 2000 1:14 PM
>
> My Helleborus orientalis has taken off this year, after several
years
> of one or two short-lived blooms and sparse foliage. Most of the
flowers
> appear to be developing seed pods, even though there haven't been
any
> bees yet.
> How should this plant be propagated? Cuttings? Division?
> I'd like the plant to self-sow; should I avoid using mulch
around
> the plant?
> By the way, my plant has a boring color range; the flowers are
> greenwish white and blend into the foliage. Are there more
interesting
> species available?
>
> Janet
>
>
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