Helleborus niger or "The Christmas Rose"
To the dismay of the Vancouver Olympics Committee the weather in Vancouver has been unseasonably warm. However, this unusually warm weather has me itching to get out into the garden, or in my case, out into my 3x8ft Juliet-style balcony of my downtown condo.
One of the first plants I bought for my empty balcony was the Hellebore.
I was looking for a solid winter bloomer for our zone (USDA 8) and my mind went to the hellebore (USDA hardiness 6-9ish.)
I originally became aware of the Hellebore during an episode of Martha Stewart Living. During this episode Martha visits a hellebore nursery where she interviews a woman hybridizing hellebores by provocatively rubbing and twisting two blossoms together.
Interestingly enough, the hellebore has special Olympic relevance too!
Hybridizers at the hellebore factory have been working tirelessly to give us the perfect Olympic bloom. Enter "Vancouver Medallion" or Helleborus x nigercors. This February bloomer was made available for retail late last month...just in time for Vancouver 2010:
Helleborus x nigercors or "Vancouver Medallion"
My particular hellebore is name Helleborus niger or "The Christmas Rose." It is an evergreen plant with dark, leathery, pedate leaves carried on stems. The large, flat flowers, borne on short stems from midwinter to early spring, are white, or occasionally pink.
I bought mine in November with blossoms and it has been blooming for 3 months straight!
Interestingly enough, the hellebore also has interesting historical significance. Here are a few points scammed off Wikipedia:
- Several legends surround the hellebore; in witchcraft it is believed to have ties to summoning demons. Helleborus niger is commonly called the Christmas rose, due to an old legend that it sprouted in the snow from the tears of a young girl who had no gift to give the Christ child in Bethlehem.
- In Greek mythology, Melampus of Pylos used hellebore to save the daughters of the king of Argos from a madness, induced by Dionysus, that caused them to run naked through the city, crying, weeping, and screaming.
- During the Siege of Kirrha in 585 BC, hellebore was reportedly used by the Greek besiegers to poison the city's water supply. The defenders were subsequently so weakened by diarrhea that they were unable to defend the city from assault.
- Some historians believe that Alexander the Great died because of a hellebore overdose, when he took it as medication.
Happy Hellebo-lympics Everybody!
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