Hellebores

I have been growing hellebores for maybe less than 5 years, and not many people are growing them in this area at least as far and I know. Two common names for them are Lenton rose and Christmas rose, depending on the earliness of bloom. These are great perennial plants, long-lived and tough. They also reseed to a limited degree, so after a few years you can have enough to share. They are also reported to be deer resistant, but mine have been deer fodder for the last couple years. However, losing their leaves in the winter did not affect their blooming and although all the leaves were eaten leaving just the leaf stalks behind, the flower stems sprang up beautiful and fresh.
The shiny leaves are beautiful all winter (till the deer eat them), at least here in Alabama. They are drought tolerant and survive long hot dry spells well, although they benefit from some shade when the sun is especially hot. Typically sold as shade plants, they bloom best if given some sun.
Some extracts of hellebores are used in homeopathy and traditional medicines.They hail from Europe and Asia, and in some places they grow in open fields with only short grasses to shade them. They were named Perennial Plant of the Year in 2005. They come in white, pink, purple, and even some yellows since the hybridizes got hold of them. The named varieties are great, no doubt, but the  seedlings are not to be disparaged.

Hellebores

 

 

Before I ever grew a Hellebore I imagined that they could not be grown here in the southeast, and certainly I had never seen any for sale. I had only admired them in plant freak magazines. One day a few years ago while cruising through the plants at Home Depot, I saw one and snatched it right up. Over the years (maybe 5/6) mine has grown and become quite a nice plant. Another smaller plant has come up beside it, from seed I guess. And I did find another one a few years ago. I can't understand why they are not grown more.
Hellebores are deer resistant. I have never had a deer bother mine at all. Occasionally a slug or snail will munch on a leaf, but that has never been a real problem either. They are drought tolerant after they become established. They bloom when little else is blooming. (Mine started in January.) The flowers last for months and come in all shades of pink, purple, and white. And they are evergreen. the only place they fall just a bit short is the flowers do not smell very good.
Like a peony, hellebores are incredibly long lived. The planting hole should be prepared like you expect it to be there for a while, because it will. They can be divided but I doubt I could ever get up nerve to split a beautiful plant.Propagation is best by seed, although it can take from 6-18 months.
I purchased some seed this spring and intend to try my own propagation.