Christmas Rose Helleborus Niger is a herbaceous evergreen perennial plant that belongs to the Buttercup family. Christmas Rose seeds require cold treatment to germinate. This winter-blooming perennial grows only 8-12 inches tall and features evergreen, clump-forming, deeply lobed and somewhat waxy, dark green foliage. Christmas Rose plant produces large, rose-like, white flowers with crowns of yellow stamens, and the flower stems usually does not rise above the foliage. The mature flowers can change their color to pink. Helleborus Niger has a long bloom period, and blooms appear usually in winter surviving even sub-zero temperatures, but the flowering period can be delayed until early spring in zones with very severe winter climate.
Christmas Rose is a long time cottage garden favorite and makes a fantastic flowering ground cover when planted in mass. Christmas Rose is a superb flowering plant for any shady location and can be grown under trees and shrubs, in shaded borders and rock gardens. Helleborus Niger seeds can be started directly outdoors in fall, and this plant grows best in part shade to full shade preferring organically rich, well-drained soils. The established Christmas Rose is extremely rugged and survives toughest conditions. All parts of this plant are poisonous.
PLANT PROFILE
Season: Perennial
Height: 8-12 Inches
Bloom Season: Winter/Spring
Environment: Shade/Partial Shade
Soil Type: Rich, Moist well-drained, pH 6.2-7.4
USDA Zones: 4-8
PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS
Sow Indoors: Winter (6-8 weeks before last frost)
Sow Outdoors: Fall
Seed Depth: 1/16 Inch
Germination Time: 28-56 Days
