Hellebores 2010

[ian mcenery]

A great acquisition Ian, it looks and sounds a sumptuous colour combination - will it come true if increased?

Unlikely to come true. Might stand a chance of being something like this one if it were selfed or crossed with its sister and the female flower were to be emasculated prior to it opening to stop unwanted crossing

I have lots of seedlings from really good plants which will flower next year but I might get only one or two nice ones from them. Ashwood are very good at what they do

[Lesley Cox]

i want one like that!

You want a little white dog under-spotted with black?

[Lesley Cox]

This pic sent by a French friend.... it is always one of the first to flower in her garden.....
Can anyone offer an ID for this hellebore ;I'm thinking simply a Helleborus hybridus......?

Yep.

[Tony Willis]

Helleborus vesicarius in flower at the moment.

The next picture is of some seedlings of vesicarius which have germinated this year and which were sown from wild collected seed from a friend in August 06. In this species it produces only the cotyledon the first year and true leaves in the second if it has not died.

The third picture is of seedlings of Helleborus thibetanus which germinated in November. These were sown direct from the plant in June 09. In this species the cotyledons remain below ground and a true leaf is produced. I argued this point with Steven in Australia last year. He said they took two years to germinate and did not produce cotyledons above ground. I said they germinated in late autumn early winter the same year and that they produced cotyledons so a draw!

[johnw]

Tony - The first of your H. thibetanus has emerged with a true leaf, seed planted last summer by the way.

Thanks

johnw

[Tony Willis]

John that is good,I think they grow away quite easily and soon make good plants.

[ian mcenery]

Helleborus vesicarius in flower at the moment.

The next picture is of some seedlings of vesicarius which have germinated this year and which were sown from wild collected seed from a friend in August 06. In this species it produces only the cotyledon the first year and true leaves in the second if it has not died.

Tony nice vesicarius and is well ahead of mine which is in my scree with only a pane of glass for shelter. I have  a single seedling of vesicarius showing in a pot I sowed about 3 years ago funny though the leaf that is showing is an adult one and I certainly don't recall any cotyledon showing last year  

[Stephen Vella]

Tony good to see your thibetanus has germinated in one season but I was only going by the book on Hellebores by C Colston Burrell and Judith Knott Tyler and memory of one i germinated many years ago as the date had faded but i do remember that it was odd that it germinated without cotyledons.

I do have some fresh seed from my own plants and some from the northern hemisphere that i had sown this season so it would be interesting to see what happens.

And a very nice vesicarius congrats on cultivating that one, if you like Ashwods 'Briar Rose' cross your vesicarius onto a niger. I did so about 4 yrs ago and was successful i think. This hybrid is evergreen like niger with a similar leaf shape and with dark red stems but with pea green leaves and with more lobes and much divided serrations like a vesicarius. Mine are showing these characteristics. Flowering this winter will tell..fingers cross.

Has anyone managed to flower a Briar Rose to show, I would be interested to see the leaves as well.

Cheers

[Tony Willis]

Steven I was writing from my previous experience on the germination of thibetanus but was clearly so blinded by my success that my observations on the type of germination was hopeless. Sometimes books can be helpful.

My niger are not even into growth yet. I cannot grow it in the garden where it just rots off and so I have three plants in pots from seed I collected in Italy but they are very poor forms and so I do not think I will try the cross with them.If I buy another one from the garden centre I will give it a try.

[chris]

a friend of me was in China to visit places where H.thibetanus grow, here his pic:

[Lesley Cox]

Oh Golly!!!

[Maggi Young]

Oh Gosh! Oh Golly Gosh!  Wonderful to see these in native habitat, Chris.... our thanks to you and your friend!

[Michael J Campbell]

A few  Helleborus in flower here today.

[Rosie]

Hello Michael - I see you said "a few" - I think what you have here is a beautiful collection of hellebores.  I take it you have more varieties than this?  As you can see I am a newbie here so maybe you're called Mr Amazing due to your various collections of plants?

[Maggi Young]

Hello Rosie, a warm welcome to you: my apologies for the wait to approve  your registration.... I "clocked off" early last night because I was going to the SRGC Show in Dunblane today and so was out enjoying myself there and not attending to Forum duties untill this evening 

You've hit the nail on the head with Michael's nickname... the range of plants he grows..... and grows well, is just that, amazing!