Helleborus 2014

[Jacek]

Having a semi woodland garden I thought hellebores would like my spot. That generally appeared not to be true. I bought different plant in Poland so I thought they should do well. But this was not true - they suffer from winter frost significantly when there is no snow cover. I lost most of them completely. The others suffer almost every year. Previous year leaves become more or less injured, but what is even worse - flower stalks are injured, too. And this is despite the fact that they do not develop significantly before spring in our colder climate.

This winter was mild - minimum temp only -16 C, but without snow. Here you can see a flower with frost injury with injured stalk leaf. This is probably some kind of fertile hybrid or Helleborus niger.



Despite injuries, I have multiple seedlings.

The hellebore that behaves perfectly is only this sterile hybrid widely available in commerce in Poland:



I believe this is H. sternii, but there was no name on it. Neither old foliage nor flower stalks are damaged by frosts down to -30 C without snow cover. Additional bonus are somewhat upwards facing flowers.

[Leena]

This winter has been hard on some of my hellebores, too. First we had a very mild December and January and many plants started to grow early, then in mid January came cold, about -20° at the most, and first without snow but then we got some snow. The Hellebore niger plants which had started to flower in December lost all the flowers and some of the Helleborus x hybrids which had well-developed buds  also got damaged. Luckily most of the hybrids were not so far into growing that they were ok and now have buds coming up. Most of the leaves of the hybrids got damaged, but I cut them away anyway in the spring, so it doesn't matter to me.
I think the trouble was the warm December and the beginning of the year, normally the plants stay dormant until the real spring comes.

My late flowering Helleborus niger is now coming up with buds, it is a good plant in a year like this.
Helleborus abhasicus survived the January and February, even with big flower buds, but then the snow melted and it got little warmer, H.abhasicus started to flower in the beginning of March, and then we had a week of cold, -12°C at the most and even though I had covered the plant, most of the flowers had frozen and died, only two small flowers survived.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Had my first case of Helleborus net necrosis virus in the garden. Scary! Infected plants (two) now en route to municipal incinerator.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Visited to Ingrams' inspirational garden Copton Ash today, and saw this little beauty. Helleborus torquatus Tinkerbell Group, bred by Robin White.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Had my first case of Helleborus net necrosis virus in the garden. Scary! Infected plants (two) now en route to municipal incinerator.

Found another infected plant; here it is just before destruction.

[David Nicholson]

Can you describe the symptons please Ralph?

[Tim Murphy]

Found another infected plant; here it is just before destruction.

We've found two plants showing symptoms this week. It's been eighteen months since we last saw it. Almost impossible to eradicate whilst maintaining a collection of hellebores because plants can be infected and infectious for many months without showing any symptoms. Sorry to see it on your plants, Ralph.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Can you describe the symptons please Ralph?

Stunted and deformed plants with characteristic black netting pattern on leaves. See also https://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=167

[David Nicholson]

Many thanks Ralph.

[ian mcenery]

Bad luck Ralph

Here  one from me H torquatus

[johnralphcarpenter]

Thanks. Those who would know more about this disease can look here: http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/PDIS-93-4-0332

[Tim Murphy]

H. vesicarius growing outside has set plenty of seed this year.

[PeterClegg]

That looks fantastic Tim , is it down to drainage where it is planted or do you cover it at some point ?

[Tim Murphy]

Thanks, Peter. The plant is growing is very well drained soil - many years ago, the previous owner of the house brought in several tonnes of soil in an attempt to build a rockery.  The soil is full of grit, sand, small and large stones, lumps of tarmac, etc. and a lot of plants struggle in it. The H. vesicarius grow very well in it - the plan is to have a drift of them. It's a ten year plan!

[Melvyn Jope]

Nice bronzed juvenile foliage on Helleborus cyclophyllus on Mt Vermion Northern Greece last week.