Hellebores Blooming

Hellebores , sometimes called Lenten Rose,belong to the Ranunculus family, as their numerous stamens suggest. They are a great evergreen perennial that does well in the shade. They are tolerant of neglect after they are established, and will frequently reseed. I am very excited about mine as I have an extra plant now that I did not plant. deer do not seem to like them. Mine have only had an occasional leaf nipped off, but never a plant completely eaten.They are reportedly poison. I had never even heard of these plants til about 10 years ago. I bought my first one from Home Depot, and it has been relatively happy ever since I set it out under an oak tree. There are all shades and colors of hellebores and I would like to have one of the dark purple ones. They do not smell very good, which may be why deer don't like them, but for tough winter flowers, they can't be beaten.