Corsican hellebore

Corsican hellebore: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Clump of sturdy, upright to slightly leaning stems, about 90 cm tall and as wide.

Leaves

Leathery, blue-green and divided into three leaflets with spiny-toothed edges; evergreen.

Flower

Cup-shaped, pale green, about 2.5 cm across, in large clusters at the tops of the stems, February to April.

Stems

Each stem grows leaves in its first year, flowers the next year and then dies; new stems take over.

Roots

Deep and sturdy: an established plant does not like being moved.

Flowering: February–April · Plants: March–April and September · Pruning: April–May

Why grow it?

• Evergreen: structure all year round with firm, toothed, blue-green leaves.
• Flowers from February to April, when little else is in bloom.
• An early source of food for queen bumblebees and other bees.
• Tolerates more sun and drought than most hellebores.
• The green flowers stay attractive on the plant for weeks.

Corsican hellebore: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade: it tolerates more sun than other hellebores.
• Well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky; no waterlogging.
• Moderately moist to dry: once established it copes well with drought.
• Sheltered from cold, drying winds, which damage the leaves and can snap the stems.
• Allow 80–90 cm of space per plant.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.9 m tall, 0.9 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -15 °C)

Goes well with

• Spurge: Evergreen with lime-green flowers in spring; both like a dry, well-drained spot.
• Snowdrop: Flowers at the same time and fills the ground at its feet.
• Elephant’s ears: Large, glossy evergreen leaves and pink flowers in March.
• Crocus: Splashes of colour at its feet in February–March.

Corsican hellebore: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September.

1. Plant in March–April or September, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a generous hole and in heavy clay work in coarse sand or gravel and some compost.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot, no deeper.
4. Keep 80–90 cm between it and other plants.
5. Water well straight away and again during dry spells in the first year.
6. Mulch around the plant with compost or gravel, keeping the base of the stems clear.

Care

Watering

In dry spells during the first year; after that only in long droughts.

Feeding

Some compost or organic fertiliser in spring; nothing more is needed.

Support

After heavy snow or wind, stems may fall over; a few twigs or a low ring keep them upright.

Spent stems

Cut them off at the base after flowering, unless you want to collect seed.

Seedlings

It self-seeds freely; weed out or move the young plants in good time.

Tip: After flowering, cut off only the stems that have flowered, at the base: the young stems without flowers will bloom next year.

Corsican hellebore: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April–May.

When: After flowering, in April–May, cut the flowered stems off at the base.

How:

• Cut each stem that has flowered just above the ground.
• Leave the young stems without flowers: they will flower next year.
• If you want seedlings, leave one stem until the seed pods split open.
• Remove damaged or black-spotted leaves as you go, wearing gloves.

Caution: Never cut off the young, non-flowering stems: they carry next year’s flowers.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seedlings

In spring, dig up young seedlings with a small root ball and plant them straight into their final spot; they flower after a few years. Division rarely works, as it resents root disturbance.

Seed

Sow fresh seed in June–July in pots and stand them outside; it usually germinates the following spring, after the winter cold.

Corsican hellebore: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −15 °C: protect young plants.

• Hardy to about −15 °C: no problem in most Belgian winters, but in a severe winter or a cold, windy spot the leaves can be damaged.
• Give it a sheltered position, for example by a wall or among shrubs.
• After heavy snow, gently free the stems so they do not snap.
• In a pot: move it against a wall in severe frost and wrap the pot in hessian.

Diseases and pests

• Leaf spot: Black or brown spots on the leaves. Cut off affected leaves and do not put them on the compost heap.
• Aphids: On young flowers and shoots in spring. Spray off with water; ladybirds do the rest.
• Falling stems: After wind or heavy snow. Choose a sheltered spot and give light support.
• Root rot: The plant wilts in wet, heavy soil. Improve the soil with gravel or plant in a raised bed.

Through the year

• January: Flower buds at the stem tips. Free the stems after snow.
• February: Flowering begins. The first bumblebees visit.
• March: In flower. Plant.
• April: Last flowers. Plant. Cut off spent stems.
• May: Cut the last spent stems off at the base. Add compost.
• June: Sow fresh seed in pots.
• July: Water during long droughts. Weed out seedlings.
• September: Plant.
• November: Cut off damaged leaves.
• December: Flower buds appear. Protect pots in severe frost.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of hellebores and Christmas roses are poisonous, to pets too; the sap can irritate the skin. Wear gloves when cutting off old leaves or dividing the plant, and do not eat any of it. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name argutifolius means ‘with sharply toothed leaves’, after the spiny leaf edges.
• What look like petals are in fact sepals: that is why the flowers stay attractive on the plant for so long.
• A cross with Helleborus lividus produced the garden hybrid Helleborus × sternii.