Helleborus hybridus Double Black

Helleborus x hybridus 'Double Black' produces double flowers which are almost black. They bear silky reflections in shades of purple or slate blue and are adorned with a heart of pale, almost white, stamens. It is a robust and very hardy perennial, easy to grow in all our regions, even in heavy soil. Combine its dark flowers with pink, white, apricot, solid or speckled blooms, under bushes, in the undergrowth, or to decorate the north side of the house. Christmas roses create beautiful flowering pots that will brighten up the gloomy days of winter.

Originally from Greece, Turkey, and central and eastern Caucasus, the oriental hellebore, sometimes called Christmas rose, is a perennial plant of the Ranunculaceae family. It hybridises very easily with other species to produce, through random sowing, plants with varied colours and forms, so much so that no variety names are given to these hybrids. They are distinguished by shape and colour characteristics. The oriental hellebore is a hardy plant that can withstand temperatures as low as -15°C (5°F), naturally growing in forests, thickets, and clearings up to 2,000m (7ft) above sea level. The 'Double Black' form develops into a compact and leafy clump measuring 40cm (16in) in all directions. It is composed of palmate basal leaves, which are slightly toothed, dark green and shiny. These are evergreen leaves, 30 to 40cm (12 to 16in) long, composed of 7 to 9 leaflets. They only live for 8 months and are regularly replaced by new leaves.

Between February and April, a bouquet of double flowers measuring 4 to 5cm (2in) in diameter forms. These are cup-shaped and inclined flowers, with several rows of petals, which is a characteristic of this group of hybrids. They incline downwards, allowing water to slide off like an umbrella. This protects the heart of the flower from rotting. Hellebore is a bushy plant. It does not like to be moved once established, with young shoots sometimes taking time to bloom. The seeds are sown by ants.

Use hellebores like elements of an old tapestry, mixing them with brightly coloured woodland plants. They are well highlighted when planted near pieris, small-sized rhododendrons, under conifers (especially on windy sites), and surrounded by primroses, wood anemones, corydalis, dicentras, cardamines, or spring-flowering bulbs and snowdrops. You can also accompany them with ferns and shade iris to create a beautiful contrast a little later in the season. They can be planted in groups, like a bouquet, near the entrance of the house, in shaded areas, to enjoy their early flowering up close. They are suitable as cut flowers and in flower beds, borders, or even planters. Hellebore flowers do not wither like most flowers. Instead, they dry up.

Each hellebore, resulting from a sowing, is unique in flower colour, so slight variations in colour may exist between two plants. This is normal and inevitable. However, if the difference is too significant and detracts from the desired effect, we will refund or replace the affected plant.