Helleborus hybridus ViV Benedetta

Oriental Hellebore Benedetta is a variety from the Viv collection with a very compact habit. This Lenten Rose produces white double flowers, pink at the tips of the petals, enhanced by a bright green heart from which yellow stamens emerge. It is a robust and very hardy perennial, easy to grow in all regions. It forms a compact clump, as wide as it is tall, and remains decorative all year round thanks to its shiny dark green evergreen foliage. Growing in partial shade to full shade, it is the ideal plant to brighten up dark autumn and winter days.

Hellebores in the ViV series are varieties derived from in vitro multiplication. Unlike varieties derived from seed, in vitro-produced hellebores guarantee a flowering that is rigorously identical to the variety from which they originate. They have the same genetic characteristics as the mother plant, are more vigorous, and develop in a uniform manner.

Benedetta Hellebore belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, which includes about sixty genera and around 2500 species, mostly herbaceous. The species Helleborus orientalis is native to Greece, Turkey, and the central and eastern Caucasus. It is a perennial plant that hybridizes very easily with other species, resulting in randomly seeded hybrids with a wide variety of colours and forms. These hybrids are rarely given variety names, but are distinguished by their shape and colour characteristics.  Oriental Hellebore is a hardy plant that can tolerate temperatures as low as -15°C, naturally growing in forests, thickets, and clearings up to 2,000 m (2,187 yards) altitude.

Benedetta grows into a compact and leafy clump measuring 35 to 45 cm (14 to 18in) in height and width. It is composed of palmate, slightly toothed, dark green and shiny, evergreen basal leaves, decorative throughout the year. These leaves actually live for only 8 months and are regularly replaced by new leaves. Benedetta blooms at the end of the year, for several weeks from November like the other varieties in the Viv collection. It forms double flowers, whose shape evokes that of certain old roses, lending them their romantic charm. The white petals become tinged with green near the heart, and take on shades of pink at their tips or fleetingly here and there. The delicate yellow stamen heart inserts itself into this harmony of soft colours and contributes fully to the beauty of the flower. The whole is highlighted by the dark background of the foliage, which accentuates the luminous character of the flowers. These flowers are inclined downwards, allowing water to slide off like an umbrella, protecting the heart from rotting. Hellebore does not like to be moved once established, with young plants sometimes taking time to bloom. The seeds are sown by ants.

Hellebores are among the most beautiful flowers of the late season. Their preference for shaded corners allows them to bring colour to these dark areas, and Benedetta's light flowering is particularly appreciated for this reason. Plant it under the canopy of a deciduous tree to protect it from the sun during the growing season and better enjoy its autumn and winter bloom; the pale winter sun does not harm it (in southern regions, it is better to provide shade from evergreens...). To ensure a long flowering period, plant Benedetta with Aster dumosus Anneke, a very compact dwarf Aster that is covered in bright pink flowers with yellow centres from August to October and tolerates partial shade. In the heart of winter, until early spring, small Cyclamen coum will delight you with its beautiful sculptural, pink flowers, which you can plant at the base of a Laurier-tin Gwenlian, a low-growing variety of Viburnum tinus that doesn't exceed 1.50 m (5ft) high. This compact shrub forms beautiful clusters of pink buds that open into small white flowers.