Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Rose

Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Rose: Icy Pink That Cuts Winter Short

Soft pink flowers fade to a paler centre, nodding a little on long stems like they're shy about blooming this early. This Lenten Rose isn't shy. IT'S JUST BEING POLITE ABOUT BEING FIRST.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Helleborus x glandorfensis
• Common Name: Lenten Rose, Hellebore
• Series: HGC® Ice N' Roses®, from the German hellebore breeder Heuger
• Height: 45–60 cm (18–24 in)
• Spread: 60 cm (24 in)
• Flowers: Single, cup-shaped, soft pink flowers fading to a paler centre, with yellow stamens. Outward to slightly nodding on long stems. Sold under the cultivar code 'Coseh 4200'.
• Bloom Time: Late winter to spring (March to May)
• Foliage: Glossy, leathery and dark green. Evergreen.
• Features: Evergreen, long-lasting flowers, good for cutting
• Plant Patent: PP28297

Where to Plant: Plant it close to the house, along a path or under deciduous trees, anywhere you'll see it in early spring. It suits woodland gardens and shady borders, and the evergreen leaves keep the spot from looking bare the rest of the year.

Companion Plants: Pulmonaria 'Dark Vader' adds purple spring flowers in April and May right as the hellebore is finishing. Astilboides tabularis brings huge leaves and cream flowers in June and July, a bold backdrop at 90 to 125 cm. Edge the bed with Tiarella cordifolia for white flowers in May and June. Together they make a layered shade garden that looks good from early spring on.

Plant Care: Plant in part sun to full shade, in moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil. Neutral to slightly alkaline soil is ideal, and clay is fine with some compost worked in. Water well through the first season and during dry summers. Cut last year's worn leaves off at the base in early spring, before the flower buds open. In zone 5, a loose mulch of shredded leaves or steady snow cover protects the foliage. Leave established clumps in place, since hellebores dislike disturbance. Wear gloves, as the sap can irritate skin.

History: Ice N' Roses® hellebores were bred in Germany by Heuger, which markets them under its HGC® label. They cross Helleborus x hybridus with other hybrid hellebores, and the breeder named the group Helleborus x glandorfensis after his hometown.

Final Thoughts: Cut a stem or two for the windowsill and leave the rest for the early bees. The deer won't bother. EVERY ROSE HAS ITS EVERGREEN.