December 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere

[Leena]

Thank you, all  :

plants are all beautiful including your Helleborus niger (?) clone which looks very happy.

It is H.niger or a hybrid of H.niger. I have gotten it as a Christmas present some years ago, and it was bought from a supermarket here without any name.
It has never produced seeds here, not even last year when I know there were bees in the flowers.
My other seed grown H.niger-plants  produce seeds every year, but they also start to flower a bit later.
The one in the video starts to flower early, but not as early as 'Josef Lemper' or 'Jacob' which almost always lose their flowers during winter.
This nameless one had big flower buds already in early December when the cold spell started without snow (-22C at the coldest), and I will see in the spring how the buds are then. Now they are under snow.

[ashley]

Thank you Leena.  My mother grew a beautiful old clone shared between small farm gardens in her home area which later decorated our Christmas table every year through my childhood.  Subsequently that plant was lost & several replacements from commercial sources disappeared after the first season so I must try again from seed.

[Leena]

Ashley, I have several clones of H.niger, and there are differences in them. Some are clearly more short-lived than others, and there are also differences in their time of flowering. The first start in December (and get damaged by the winter here, but they may be very good plants in warmer climates, and prolong Helleborus season), and the latest one always starts to flower in late April. I have grown it now for ten years, and it is always late, no matter where I plant it.
One of the best is H.niger which I have grown from Holubeck seeds (from Italy). It starts to flower in April as soon as snow melts (it may flower earlier in warmer climates, but it is cold hardy also here), and always flowers well and grows well. Also it has red tips in carpels (the other clones I have have green tips) which makes it look a little different. It always produces plenty of seeds, and if you want, I can send them to you next summer:).

[ashley]

Thanks again Leena; that's very kind.  With luck I'll have something interesting to offer you in return.

[Leena]

Ashley, I made a note of H.niger seeds to you next summer, so that I don't forget:).