Lenten rose

Lenten rose: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense clump about 45 cm tall and as wide.

Leaves

Leathery, divided into seven to nine toothed leaflets like a hand; evergreen.

Flowers

Nodding, saucer-shaped, 5–7 cm across, with a ring of yellow stamens; January to April.

Colour

White, cream, green, pink, purple or almost black, often speckled or darkly veined.

Fruit

Green seed pods with glossy black seeds, ripe in May–June.

Flowering: January–April · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: January and May

Why grow it?

• Flowers from January to April, while most of the garden is still dormant.
• Evergreen leaves that fill the shady border even outside the flowering season.
• An early source of food for bumblebees and bees on mild winter days.
• Long-lived: a clump gets lovelier and more floriferous every year.
• Endless colours and markings, from pure white to almost black.

Lenten rose: where does it grow best?

• Partial shade or shade; a spot under deciduous shrubs or trees is ideal: winter light, summer shade.
• Humus-rich, well-drained loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Moist: it should not dry out in summer, nor sit wet in winter.
• Space 40–45 cm apart and choose a permanent spot straight away: it dislikes being moved.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.45 m tall, 0.45 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Snowdrop: Flowers in the same weeks and fills the ground between the clumps.
• Lungwort: Blue and pink spring flowers and spotted leaves in the same shade.
• Ferns: Take over in summer when the Lenten rose is quietly green.
• Bigroot cranesbill: A tough, scented ground cover for the same partial shade.
• Witch hazel: A winter-flowering shrub that leaves light and space beneath it.

Lenten rose: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or September–October.
2. Dig a generous hole and mix in plenty of compost or leaf mould.
3. Set the crown at soil level, no deeper: planted too deep, it flowers poorly.
4. Space plants 40–45 cm apart; they look best in groups of three or five.
5. Firm in and water thoroughly.
6. Spread a layer of leaf mould around the plant and water in dry spells until it is well rooted.

Care

Watering

In dry spells in the first year; after that only in long, dry summers.

Feeding

A little compost in spring is enough.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould in autumn feeds the plant and keeps the soil cool and moist.

Old leaves

Cut off the old leaves in January so the flowers are shown off well (see pruning).

Seedlings

If you let the flowers set seed, seedlings appear around the plant that you can move.

Tip: Cut off the old leaves in January: the flowers are then shown off beautifully and diseases have less chance. Plant it in humus-rich soil under deciduous shrubs.

Lenten rose: when to prune it?

Pruning months: January and May.

When: In January, before or as flowering begins, cut off the old leaves. After flowering, in May, you can cut off the flower stems.

How:

• In January, cut all the old leaves off at the base: the flowers are then on full display and leaf spot has less chance.
• Spare the young flower buds and the new leaves emerging among the old ones.
• After flowering, cut off the flower stems if you do not want seedlings.
• Through the year, cut off leaves with black spots and put them in the household waste.

Caution: Wear gloves: the sap can irritate the skin.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow fresh seed as soon as it is harvested, in May–June, in a pot of seed compost left outdoors. It germinates after winter; seedlings flower after two to three years and do not always resemble the parent.

Moving seedlings

Seedlings around the parent plant can be moved with a root ball in spring once they have a few true leaves.

Division

Possible after flowering or in September, but the plant is slow to recover. Lift large pieces with several buds.

Lenten rose: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• In hard frost the flowers and leaves go limp, but they recover when it thaws.
• In a pot: stand it against a sheltered wall and wrap the pot in hessian in severe frost.

Diseases and pests

• Black leaf spot: Brown-black spots on the leaves, a fungal disease. Cut off affected leaves and put them in the household waste; removing the old leaves in January helps.
• Aphids: On flowers and young leaves in spring. Hose them off with water.
• Black streaks: Black streaks along the veins and distorted leaves point to a virus disease. Put the plant in the household waste.
• Few flowers: Planted too deep, too dry or recently moved. Set the crown at soil level and give it time.

Through the year

• January: Cut off the old leaves. Flowering begins.
• February: Flowering. Bumblebees on mild days.
• March: Flowering. Plant. Give compost.
• April: Last flowers. Plant. Watch for aphids.
• May: Cut off the flower stems or let the seed ripen.
• June: Collect fresh seed and sow it straight away.
• September: Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. Mulch with leaf mould.
• December: Flower buds appear. Remove spotted leaves.

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?

• What look like petals are sepals. They stay on the plant for weeks after pollination and often turn green, which is why the flowers seem to last so long.
• The true petals have been reduced to small nectar cups in the heart of the flower.
• The Lenten rose is related to the Christmas rose (Helleborus niger), which usually flowers earlier and has white flowers.