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 3- 8).

Christmas roses typically grow 8-15 inches tall and feature 2.5 to 3.0 inch wide, cup-shaped, rose-like white to light blush pink with yellow stamens. Each flower has five large showy petal-like sepals. Flowers usually appear singly on thick stems. Their palmately compound evergreen leaves are deeply lobed, waxy, and dark green with 7-9 leaflets. Leaves remain evergreen in moderate winters zone 5b and warmer). Foliage may be blotched and tattered in extremely cold wintry conditions that dip below zero and the leaves not protected by snow cover.

Christmas roses are rated as slightly more difficult to grow than H. x hybridus. They’re best grown in humus-rich, neutral to alkaline, well-drained soils and in part – full shade. Hellebores resent very dry summer soils. Set plants on sheltered locations away from cold winter winds. Plants usually take two or more years to establish. Divide plants clumps as needed or just left undisturbed. Plants may self-seed in optimum growing conditions.

Locate Christmas roses near a garden path that you frequently walk by in the winter and spring seasons. For best effect, set several plants en masse anytime from March through September. Fall-planted lenten roses may be difficult to establish. Utilize them as ground covers under trees, large shrubs or in woodland gardens, where they eventually will seed-in and naturalize. Trim away old foliage before the start of the winter blooming season.

Some local greenhouses pot them up in late summer for fall sales. Don’t delay planting as winter survival of roots and crowns depends on setting them in the garden by late October.

No serious insect or disease problems trouble Helleborus spp. Crown rot and leaf spot are occasional problems. Inspect leaves for aphids and slugs. It is also mostly deer resistant. Leaves, stems and roots of Lenten roses are poisonous to humans, dogs, cats and horses.

Select H. niger x hybrid cultivars:

‘Snowbells’ (H. niger) – semi-double pure white 2.5- to 3-inch-wide flowers.

‘Bob’s Best’ (H. x ericsmithii) – outward-facing, saucer-shaped, pink-flushed blooms.

‘Ruby Grow’ (H. x ericsmithii) – attractive pink buds that open to mid pink flowers that slowly deepen to green and deep pink tones in late winter-early spring.

‘HGC Silvermoon’ (H. x ericsmithii) – pewter foliage upright stalks of ivory white flowers in late winter.

‘Winter Moonbeam’ (H. x ericsmithii) – early white blooms fading to a soft dusky-pink.