How to Grow and Care for Lenten Rose

Lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus) is not a rose; it's a perennial hybrid hellebore belonging to the buttercup family. The two-part common name of Lenten rose refers to the plant's bloom season, which is around the Christian season of Lent that falls in late winter, and its rose-like flower buds. Lenten rose thrives in shady conditions, prefers moist, neutral-to-alkaline soil with good drainage, and cannot tolerate high temperatures.

Keep in mind that lenten rose is toxic to humans and pets.

Lenten Rose Care

Lenten rose is one of the easiest plants to grow. Here are the main requirements:

• Plant them in early fall or spring in partial to full shade, keeping them sheltered from harsh winter winds.
• Keep the soil moist, but don't let it get soggy, and mulch in early winter.
• Protect Lenten rose plants from deep freezes.
• Feed regularly with fertilizer or amend the soil occasionally with organic matter.

Light

One of the best perennials for shade, hellebores will retain their vibrant sepals and foliage in shady locations. An ideal location for Lenten rose is under the canopy of a deciduous tree, which provides shade in the summer but allows plants to receive sunlight in winter when the trees drop their leaves. They do best when they receive some sun in winter but full to partial shade in summer.

Soil

This early spring bloomer prefers evenly moist, well-draining, fertile soil. Enrich the soil with compost to improve the vigor of the plants or fertilize them with manure tea.

Water

Hellebores prefer evenly moist but not constantly wet soil; soggy soil can invite disease. Provide enough water to keep the soil moist during prolonged periods of hot and dry weather but once established, Lenten rose can tolerate dry conditions. You can expect that new plants will need about an inch of water per week if no rain is in the forecast.

Temperature and Humidity

Although its foliage is evergreen, the foliage can become scorched and tattered in extremely harsh winters. The plants will need winter protection to keep them safe during deep freezes. Lenten rose requires shade if you live in a zone with intensely hot, sunny summers. It likes constant moisture and grows well in humid climes.

Fertilizer

Regularly amending your soil with organic matter is enough for a single specimen hellebore, but for larger plants or a cluster of multiple plants, lightly fertilize with a slow-release, balanced fertilizer in late winter as new foliage is beginning to emerge. If using liquid fertilizer, make sure it doesn't splash on the foliage because it can burn the leaves. If you accidentally splash some on the plant, use a steady stream of water to wash it off.

Types of Lenten Rose

Lenten rose cultivars produce blooms in a wide array of colors, but the basic plant form is identical. Other hellebore species are similar to the Lenten rose.

• 'Red Lady': Upward-facing, single petal flowers with a deep red hue or white with a pink blush.
• 'Mrs. Betty Ranicar': Abundant snow-white double-petal blooms.
• 'Windcliff Double Pink': Stunning double pink flowers and mounded foliage.
• Helleborus niger : Commonly known as Christmas rose, this species produces white flowers sometimes flushed with pink that appear at Christmas time in warmer regions or in midwinter in colder climates.
• Helleborus argutifolius: Commonly known as the Corsican hellebore, it is seen growing along roadsides in Corsica and Sardinia and is known for its coarse but bold evergreen foliage and pale green blooms.
  

Pruning

Remove old, scorched, damaged, or dead leaves from the plant before the plant is in bloom (usually late winter to early spring). After blooming has finished, cut back flowering stems to their base to encourage new foliage growth. 

Allow the healthy evergreen foliage to remain on the plant throughout winter. During the growing season, remove any browned and ragged foliage at its base. When the flowers have started to brown at their tips, cut them back to the bottom of the plant; the time of year depends on your zone and the growing season conditions.

Propagating Lenten Rose

Lenten rose is among the easiest plants to propagate. You can cultivate more plants through division. The best time to divide mature plants is in spring. A mature plant is about three years old and has flowered in the past. Division can make flowering more vigorous for the upcoming blooming season. Transplanted sections can develop into blooming plants in the first season, but some might not and might need the span of a growing season to recover from the shock of the division. Also, divided plants are likely to bloom at least one year sooner than plants grown from seed.

To propagate by division:

1. Find a container or shady spot in your landscape or garden, a sterilized knife, and moistened, enriched, well-draining potting soil.
2. Dig up a plant clump and divide it by cutting off a piece of the plant with a healthy root section and vigorous above-ground stems.
3. Replant the division or place the container in a shady location.
4. Water lightly a day or two after planting and keep moist.
   

How to Grow Lenten Rose From Seed

Lenten rose produces its seeds in the late spring. You can save seeds collected from faded flower heads for planting in summer or the following spring. If you don't deadhead its faded flowers, Lenten rose can reseed itself and spread to fill in an area; their attractive foliage makes them a gorgeous ground cover. Lenten rose will also naturalize under the right conditions.

1. To sow seeds, you can either prepare an area in a shady garden bed or prepare a container with moistened, enriched potting soil.
2. Scatter seeds on the soil surface and gently press them into the soil.
3. Seeds must be in complete contact with the soil, but do not bury them. These seeds need sunlight to germinate.
4. Moisten the seed and soil surface.
5. Keep the soil evenly moist and do not let it dry out.
6. Seeds will germinate over the winter.

If not sown immediately after collecting, Lenten rose seeds require a stratification period of at least three weeks of cold in order for the seeds to germinate. To artificially re-create these conditions, place the seeds in a clear bag, and store the bag in a refrigerator for three weeks.

Overwintering

Although it's cold-tolerant, this plant needs protection from harsh, cold winds. If the plant is exposed with no windbreak, protect the plants from cold winds with a light fabric covering or cold frame. Otherwise, it can tolerate cold temperatures. Usually, plants that are grown in containers need more protection than in-ground Lenten rose. Also, in the colder regions, provide a few inches of winter mulch, which you should remove before they start to bloom.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Lenten rose is a deer-resistant plant, but they are occasionally susceptible to leaf spot and crown rot. Use preventative fungicides early in the growing season to reduce fungal infections. Proper spacing will also help prevent fungal diseases from spreading among plants. This plant is relatively pest-free; its most significant threats are the occasional slugs or snails.

How to Get Lenten Rose to Bloom

Lenten rose can be planted in early fall or late spring and have a lengthy bloom period. When growing a plant from seed, do not expect plants to produce blooms in the first year. It can take two or more growing seasons before flowers appear. Also, if you transplanted or divided your Lenten rose, it might not bloom for a year or two after that division.

To encourage blooming, spread a bit of compost around the plant or a light dose of fertilizer in the early spring. Also, if the plant is being grown in a container, make sure the plant is not rootbound.

Bloom Months

Lenten rose usually blooms in February and stays in bloom until April.

How Long Does Lenten Rose Bloom?

Once they start blooming in winter, Lenten rose tends to stay in bloom for about eight to ten weeks.

What Do Lenten Rose Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Lenten rose is available in many varieties with different flower colors. The flowers have five petals that come together to form a cup shape. There are also several new double-flowering and bicolor varieties. These flowers have very little fragrance and are not particularly well-liked for their scent.

Caring for Lenten Rose After It Blooms

After Lenten rose finishes blooming, it does not require any unusual care. You may want to save seeds at this time or consider deadheading the plant.

Deadheading Lenten Rose

Deadheading Lenten rose will not encourage it to bloom further, but it will prevent it from self-seeding. If you don't want the plant to spread in your garden, deadhead the spent flowers.

Common Problems With Lenten Rose

Lenten rose is one of those plants that you can plant and forget about. If you situate it in the right spot, this plant can do the rest—and last for years. However, fungus can be a problem.

Black Marks on Foliage and Stunted Growth

If you notice black patches on the foliage or flowers, this sign points to the black death virus. This disease makes plants look stunted or deformed; plants will develop black streaks and netting patterns. As the name implies, this disease is deadly. Destroy this plant; it's not salvageable and can spread to other nearby plants. Aphids or whiteflies can spread it. Apply horticultural oil to any plant that has those insects to keep the virus away from any of your other plants.

Dry, Brown Blotches on Foliage

Botrytis is a fungus that favors the cooler, wet weather. It's also called gray mold. It starts as water-soaked spots on leaves and stems and evolves to form dry, brown blotches. In severe cases, the disease can attack the flowers, making them unsightly and short-lived. To prevent the fungus from affecting your plant, make sure the spacing between plants is adequate; crowding breeds fungal issues, as does soil that is too soggy or impaired by poor drainage. To treat the condition, spread 1/2-inches of lime chips around the base of the entire plant.

Yellowing Leaves

During hot summers or harsh winters, your evergreen plant might develop yellowed leaves. The Lenten rose can tolerate temperature extremes but might not rebound right away and will reflect its stress by the yellowing of its leaves or refusing to bloom. To encourage regrowth, trim off dead or dying leaves.