Helleborus 2016

[Gunilla]

They have just started here.
These two seedlings flower for the first time.

[David Nicholson]

Very pretty.

[Jeffnz]

Both would tick all my boxes, origin?

[Gabriela]

Lovely. Is it unrealistic to expect flowers from 2 years old seedlings of H. x hybridus?

[Jeffnz]

Unusual but under ideal growing conditions, nutrients and a vigorous plant possible. For me 3 years post germination is the norm for hybridus seedlings, niger a year earlier.

[Gunilla]

Yes, 3 years after germination is my experience, too.  The mother plant to my two seedlings came from Ashwoods and looks like the one in the second photo.

[Gabriela]

Thank you all. The first signs of spring are making me impatient. I got the seeds from someone who hybridized double purples, with H. torquatus in the blood line, so I have great expectations!

What else I would really like to know is if there is a way to hurry up H. purpurascens - the seedlings seem to remain at the cotyledons stage for ever 

[Jeffnz]

Sorry but in my experience species are always much slower to flower than hybridus (is influenced by species seedling vigour), the closer the cross is to a species the more likely flowering will be delayed. I am of the opinion that early breeders may well have selected for early flowering but the need for this diminished over time.
Niger is very quick to flower, thibetanus very very slow.

[David Nicholson]

It's been a bit of a disaster year for me as far as Hellebores are concerned. Given the very wet Autumn, carried through an even wetter winter I didn't get to remove the leaves at all. The rain spoilt the flowers and the wind decimated the plants. I have one plant though that is always the last to flower and seems to be in pretty good nick. This is the one:-

[johnralphcarpenter]

Very nice, David.

[Jeffnz]

David
Great double, like the sepal shape and abundance, can I ask of its provenance?

[David Nicholson]

David
Great double, like the sepal shape and abundance, can I ask of its provenance?

Sorry Jeff, haven't a clue.

[Gabriela]

Sorry but in my experience species are always much slower to flower than hybridus (is influenced by species seedling vigour), the closer the cross is to a species the more likely flowering will be delayed. I am of the opinion that early breeders may well have selected for early flowering but the need for this diminished over time.
Niger is very quick to flower, thibetanus very very slow.

Thank you Jeff. I was referring to the fact that it takes a very long time for H. purpurascens to develop the first true leaves; I can imagine how long it will be until flowering.

David - a super nice double flowered specimen! It would be interesting to raise some seedlings; you may never know what else will show up from such beautiful parent 

[Leena]

Gunilla's picotee is very nice, and I have similar flower also from Ashwood seeds.
And I love David's double plant.

This is a time when Helleborus seeds are germinating here. I sowed H.liguricus from fresh seeds in summer 2014 and for some reason they germinated only now. Perhaps they needed two winters like H.thibetanus?
Also seeds sown in January 2015 started to germinate outside in late December, but then came winter, and now that the frost is melting from the ground, the seedlings continue to develop and more to germinate  . These were seeds from New Zealand and France.
Fresh seeds sown last summer (Onyx Odyssey and Lotus Queen and some others) started to germinate also in December, and continue now.

[Tristan_He]

Very fond of hellebores, but they don't really give their best up here in our wet and windy climate - in particular black spot can ruin the display of flowers. Here are two that seem to do well though:



I think this black one is a Will McLewin seedling. It's not very vigorous but always looks great.



This double picotee is a Harvington one from my local garden centre. Sorry about the blurry photo, it was a windy day here today.