Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Rosetta

Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Rosetta: A Sun-Friendly Hellebore With Upward Faces

'Rosetta' looks like strawberry ice cream melting into vanilla, and it shows up while there's still real ice outside. Big pink flowers fading to cream, facing out for the paparazzi. DESSERT FIRST. WINTER LATER.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Helleborus x iburgensis
• Common Name: Christmas Rose, Hellebore
• Series: HGC® Ice N' Roses®, from the German hellebore breeder Heuger
• Height: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Spread: 45–50 cm (18–20 in)
• Flowers: Large, single, outward-facing flowers, soft pink fading to cream in the centre
• Bloom Time: Late winter to spring (March to May)
• Foliage: Thick, leathery, dark green and serrated. Evergreen.
• Features: Evergreen, good in containers

Where to Plant: Rosetta suits brighter spots than most hellebores: an east-facing bed, the sunny edge of a woodland planting, or a large container by the door. It sits nicely at the front of a border where its early flowers are easy to see.

Companion Plants: Use Rosetta in a moist bed in sun or part shade with a blue carpet, violet stars and dark heuchera. Isotoma fluviatilis carpets the front at 3 to 5 cm with tiny blue stars from June to September. Heuchera FYRE WING™ 'Jet' adds dark foliage at 18 cm. Polemonium 'Heavenly Habit' brings violet-blue stars at 25 to 30 cm from May to July. Calamagrostis Hello Spring!® stands behind at 90 to 120 cm with cream-striped blades.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun to part sun, in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. In hot, exposed spots, a little afternoon shade helps keep the leaves looking good. Water well through the first season and in dry spells. Cut old, damaged leaves off at the base in early spring before the buds open. In zone 5, add a loose winter mulch of shredded leaves or rely on good snow cover. Avoid moving established clumps. Wear gloves when handling, since the sap can irritate skin.

History: Rosetta is part of the Ice N' Roses® family from Heuger, a German breeder that sells its hellebores under the HGC® label. It's listed as Helleborus x iburgensis, a hybrid group with the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, in its background, which gives it large, upward-looking flowers and more tolerance for sun.

Final Thoughts: Plant it in a pot by the front door so the whole street sees it. Deer stay away. THE SCOOP EVERYBODY WANTS.