Helleborus foetidus
stinking hellebore
- 2 litre pot
- £24.99
- available to order from spring
- 3 × 2 litre pots
- £54.99 £18.33 each
- available to order from spring
Delivery options
- Standard £5.99
- Position: partial shade
- Soil: any moist, neutral to alkaline soil, including heavy soil
- Rate of growth: average
- Flowering period: January to April
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Nodding, bell-shaped, pale green flowers with purple edges appear above clumps of deeply divided dark green leaves from January to April. Our native 'stinking hellebore' is aptly named as the leaves give off an unpleasant odour when crushed. This is an unusual, architectural plant for a shady border or woodland garden, or beneath deciduous shrubs, where its evergreen foliage can be shown off in autumn and winter.
Add lots of well-rotted leaf mould or organic matter to the planting hole. Cut the old leaves back down to the ground in January or February as this will show off the new emerging flowers to best effect. It will also help to reduce/minimise the spread of any foliar diseases (such as hellebore leaf spot if present.
Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the base of the plant in autumn and provide a top-dressing of general fertiliser each spring. Cut off the seed heads to prevent inferior seedlings colonising.
Apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted organic matter around the base of the plant in autumn and provide a top-dressing of general fertiliser each spring. Cut off the seed heads to prevent inferior seedlings colonising.
- Humans/Pets: Harmful if eaten; skin irritant
