Horticulture/Helleborus foetidus

Helleborus foetidusStinking Hellebore HelleborusFoetidus-plant.jpg Helleborus foetidus Herbaceous perennial Sun to shade Drought tolerant Rich, well-drained After flowering Transplants easily Some serious Mid-winter to early spring Self-seeds freely Insects About 1 ft. high, to 2 ft. spread fibrous Toxic if eaten, can cause rashes on exposed skin Helleborus foetidus, known variously as Stinking hellebore, Dungwort, or Bear's foot, is a member of the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to western Europe, from England south to Portugal, and east to Germany and Italy. Description It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 80 cm tall and 100 cm across, with evergreen leaves. The flowers are yellowish-green, often with a purple edge to the five petal-like sepals on strongly upright stems. Foliage is pungent when crushed. Growing Conditions Helleborus foetidus prefers woodland conditions with deep, fertile, moist, humus rich, well drained soil, and dappled shade. The species is, however, drought tolerant. Varieties The cultivar Green Giant has very bright green flowers and finley divided foliage; Miss Jekyll has fragrant flowers, intensity varying with the time of day; Wester Flisk Group has red tinted leaves and stems and gray-green flowers; the Sierra Nevada Group is dwarf reaching 30 cm. Uses It is grown in gardens for its handsome evergreen foliage and large numbers green, bell shaped flowers borne in late winter. Because of its toxicity, it is often grown where ../Deer/ are a problem. Maintenance This plant tends to be somewhat short-lived in the garden, but replaces itself well with copious seedlings. Deadhead to prevent reseeding, and remove the plant if it has blackened leaves or stems. Propagation Propagations is via division or from seed, which can be prolific, naturalising well in ideal conditions. Pests and Diseases (see ../Helleborus/ for a discussion of pests and diseases). References thumb|left|200 px|Flowers FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Helleborus&SPECIES_XREF=foetidus&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Flora Europaea: Helleborus foetidus Flora, The Gardener's Bible, ABC books, Ultimo, NSW, Australia, 2006 Th Ultimate Plant Book, Bryant & Rodd et al, CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Vic, Australia, 2005 species y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y 7.12.13