Hellebore: how to care for the Christmas rose?

Helleborus is one of the few plants that can bring life and colour to your garden in winter. Commonly known as the Christmas rose because of its winter flowering, the hellebore comes in over fifteen species. Do you want the grace of its corollas to accompany your winters? Discover all our secrets for looking after your Christmas rose.

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Sunshine and temperature for hellebores

Helleborus is a beauty that loves the cold. This outdoor perennial has the particularity of flowering in winter (from December to March). Helleborus niger is the best-known species, because of its snow-white flowers. The outdoor hellebore likes to take root in a shady or semi-shady spot. Planted at the foot of a large deciduous tree, it will be sheltered from the sun's rays all year round. This hardy plant is very hardy and can withstand frost. A simple mulch of dry leaves at the base of the plant is enough to protect it from the harshest winters. In a pot, the Christmas rose will brighten up your home, as long as you choose the coolest room in the house for it..

Note : You can buy leafless varieties of hellebores, which do better indoors.

Watering a hellebore

When you first plant your hellebore, water it once a week to encourage its growth. After that, water it regularly so that the soil remains moist at all times, but does not become waterlogged at the base. When indoors, make sure you always keep the root ball of your Christmas rose fresh.

Good to know : If the leaves of your hellebore droop, it's a sign that it's running out of water.

Taking care of a hellebore: good practices

Helleborus is a low-maintenance plant. Does your Christmas rose fail to flower in its first year? That's perfectly normal. It often takes two years before it reveals its pretty corolla flowers. Once the first buds appear and the rose is in flower, don't hesitate to remove the dead leaves to stimulate flowering. We also recommend composting the plant in autumn. For potted hellebores, we recommend fertilising the soil in spring with organic fertiliser.

A few tips for replanting a hellebore

Helleborus is planted in autumn or spring (September to May). It thrives in loose soil, but requires a shady spot as we saw earlier. Helleborus is a colonising plant, so we recommend that you space each plant 30 to 40 centimetres apart. To replant your hellebore successfully in your garden, you need to :

• Prepare the soil by working it ;

• Enrich the soil with compost (manure) ;

• Soak the pots to moisten the root ball before planting ;

• Dig a hole twice the size of the pot ;

• Untangle the roots if they have become entangled ;

• Cover with soil up to the neck of the plant ;

• Cover the base with a mulch of dry leaves.

For potted plants, we recommend transferring your Christmas rose to a container three or four times the size of the original one. Need more advice? We'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

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