Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Carlotta

Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Carlotta: Bold Magenta Before Winter Even Ends

'Carlotta' paints outside the lines and makes it look intentional. White to soft rose cups, edged and veined in magenta, held on red-flushed stems. EARLY BLOOMER. LATE-NIGHT ENERGY.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Helleborus hybrid
• Common Name: Lenten Rose, Hellebore
• Series: HGC® Ice N' Roses®
• Height: 30–50 cm (12–20 in)
• Spread: 30–50 cm (12–20 in)
• Flowers: Single, cup-shaped, outward-facing flowers about 6 cm (2.5 in) across, white to soft rose with magenta-pink edges and veins and creamy stamens, on red-flushed stems
• Bloom Time: Late winter to spring (March to May)
• Foliage: Deep green, leathery and evergreen, forming a compact clump
• Features: Rabbit resistant, good flower count from a young age, sold under cultivar code 'Coseh 6500'

Where to Plant: Plant it along a shady walk, at the front of a woodland bed or under deciduous trees, where it gets winter and spring light before the canopy fills in. Some morning sun is ideal. Its upward-facing flowers also make it a good choice for containers by the door.

Companion Plants: Build a shady spring bed around Carlotta, with woodland plants that share its moist, rich soil. Pulmonaria 'Trevi Fountain' opens cobalt-blue flowers at 25 to 30 cm in April and May, right alongside the hellebores. Arisaema triphyllum adds hooded Jack-in-the-pulpit flowers at 30 to 60 cm from April to June. Athyrium niponicum var. pictum brings silvery painted fern fronds at 45 cm. Carex appalachica fills in at 15 to 30 cm with fine, thread-like native blades.

Plant Care: Plant in humus-rich, well-drained soil that stays evenly moist, neutral to slightly alkaline. Dappled light or a few hours of morning sun is ideal. Water during dry spells. Wear gloves, since all parts are toxic if eaten. In early spring, cut away last year's worn leaves at the base so the new flowers show. In zone 5, a loose mulch of shredded leaves or a good snow cover protects the evergreen leaves. Hellebores don't like being moved once they're established, so choose the spot carefully.

History: The Ice N' Roses® series comes from the German nursery Heuger, which sells its hellebores under the HGC® (Helleborus Gold Collection®) label. The plants are crosses of Helleborus × ericsmithii or H. × ballardiae with H. × hybridus, a group named Helleborus × glandorfensis after Heuger's home town of Glandorf.

Final Thoughts: She puts on a good show even as a young plant, so there's no awkward phase. Deer and rabbits keep their distance. SKIPPED THE BRACES ENTIRELY.