Hellebore black death?

[arisaema]

These came with the house, but aren't looking too healthy... I'm tempted to dig and throw, but is it just frost damage or does this look like a disease - fungal or bacterial?

[Carolyn]

It looks to me like hellebore leaf spot. I find that certain hellebores in my garden tend to get this, while other nearby plants are totally healthy. I remove and burn anything blackened. The problem seems worse in wet years. I always promise myself that this year I will dig up susceptible plants, but there’s too much else to do at this time of year!

[Jeffnz]

The pattern of the flowers does not appear to be symptomatic of black death. Most likely either frost burn or a moulid infection.

[arisaema]

Thank you both! We haven't really had hard frosts, but it's always wet, so I'm thinking these should be retired... Glad to know it's likely fungal, I've sown hundreds of Helleborus thibetanus this winter so I'd hate for it to be "black death".

[Leena]

I have had similar looking buds when it has been too cold when buds have been forming above ground. Some plants seem to be more prone to this and others in the same weather are fine.
I have cut off the damaged bits, just to be sure no disease gets to the damaged parts.

[Jeffnz]

Good luck with the thibetanus seed germination. This is one species that I have struggled to get to flowering and probably will not pursue trying yet again. I think that our winters are to wet and summers to dry. By all accounts Thibetanus is a diminutive plant, if you have the right conditions it  is spectacular if you can get a good number of plants in a spot.

[Diane Whitehead]

Yes, I have given up trying to grow thibetanus.