Vibey Velvet Hellebore

In recent years the Christmas rose, or Hellebore, has risen from obscurity to fame, and now, with the Frostkiss® series, these plants have reached new heights. The product of skilled European breeders, these fabulous varieties – like the Vibey Velvet™ Helleborus – will bring gorgeous blooms to your garden between January and April, depending on your local climate, and how you grow them. Instead of the old nodding flowers, half buried beneath the leaves, these beauties hold their flowers up high, above the foliage, and facing proudly outwards. Up to 3 inches across, the flowers are carried in clusters of up to 40 in a mature plant, and a plant in bloom makes a fabulous showing. They are a wonderful purple-red color, accented by a golden cluster of stamens in the center. Flowers stay attractive for up to 3 months, gradually turning greenish, but staying gorgeous. The joy doesn’t end there, because this variety also has beautiful foliage, leathery and glossy, divided into broad leaflets, and highly decorated, with silver marbling patterns on the leaves. Shade tolerant, this is a great plant to grow in the areas beneath taller shrubs, and in a shade garden, for wonderful spring color and dense, handsome groundcover foliage year-round. Plants can also be grown in pots, and brought into a cool, bright room for winter blooming.

• Large, purple-red flowers in big clusters on strong stems
• Glossy, leathery leaves have beautiful silver marbling patterns
• Flowers prolifically from January to April
• Shade tolerant and happy in summer drought
• Plants can be grown in pots, and brought inside during flowering

The perfect spot for your Vibey Velvet™ Helleborus in with a touch of sun in the morning, and shade afterwards. It also grows well beneath deciduous shrubs, enjoying the winter sun and summer shade. It grows well in all well-drained soils, including alkaline soils, heavy clays and poor earth. Add compost to the ground when planting and as mulch, and you will find that established plants have excellent summer drought tolerance. This plant is untouched by deer and has no pests or diseases of any note. Don’t cut back in fall – remove any old, damaged leaves after flower stems emerge. New growth comes after the flowering period.