From mid-winter to early spring, bowl-shaped white flowers, sometimes flushed with pink, appear on sturdy stems, each up to 8cm (3in) wide with a distinctive green eye. This hardy plant thrives in partial shade, making it ideal for woodland gardens or the front of a border.

Helleborus niger prefers moist but well-drained soil and benefits from an annual mulch of well-rotted compost. In order to see the beautiful flowers more clearly, and provide good air circulation, the older leaves should be removed as new growth emerges.

Once established, it dislikes disturbance but will readily self-seed in suitable conditions. Also known as the Christmas rose, it makes a striking cut flower, with blooms that can be floated in water for an elegant display.