Christmas roses (Helleborus niger), aka Christmas roses, are early winter flowering lenten roses. They bloom around Christmas time if winter temps are generally still mild. Based on the severity of winter temps, start of bloom date will vary considerably between H. niger and the more popular Helleborus x hybridus (H. x orientalis). (USDA hardiness zones […]
Archive for December, 2024
Christmas Rose
Posted by Hugh on December 22nd, 2024
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Aphids, Autumn flowering, Bees and other pollinators, Christmas rose (H. niger), Cold tolerance, Container garden, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Flower arrangments, Fruits poisonous, Ground cover, Honey bees, Landscape ideas, Leaf/needle spots, Lenten rose (Hellebore), Non-native, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, root injury, Shade Gardening, Slugs, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Wind protection, Winter flowering, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Christmas RoseThermonasty – What Is It?
Posted by Hugh on December 16th, 2024
How cold did it get overnight? Perhaps you should check out your rhododendrons outside. The leaves of some rhododendron species (Rhododendron spp.) and Redneck Rhody (Daphniphyllum macropodum) droop down and/or curl up during really cold nights. Plant scientists believe that this reaction may be a plant’s way of reducing water loss through stomata cells on […]
Posted in Cold tolerance, Daphniphyllum macrophyllum, Evergreen, Landscape ideas, Native Plant, Non-native, Rhododendrons, Rosebay Rhododendron (R. Maximum), Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Thermonasty, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Thermonasty – What Is It?Russian arborvitae (Microbiota)
Posted by Hugh on December 1st, 2024
Russian arborvitae, aka Siberian cypress (Microbiota decussata), is a conifer ground cover that originates from frigid Siberia; it is exceptionally cold hardy to -40° F (USDA hardiness zones 2-7). Microbiota prospers in the cooler parts of the Mid-South (Kentucky, East Tennessee, Virginia, and Western North Carolina). Growth rate is slow to medium. This amazing groundcover shows […]
Posted in acidic soil, Deciduous, Disease resistant, Ground cover, Landscape ideas, Microbiota, Non-native, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, winter hardiness Comments Off on Russian arborvitae (Microbiota)
