About Helleborus orientalis Lam.
This species, commonly called Lenten rose, is an evergreen perennial with a scientific name of Helleborus orientalis Lam. It grows 28 to 45 cm (11 to 18 in) tall. Its foliage consists of glossy green, palmate, leathery leaves that are evergreen, with 7 to 9 serrated-margin leaflets per leaf. The cup-shaped, pendent flowers grow in groups of 1 to 4 at the tips of thick stems that stand above the plant's leaves, blooming in late winter and spring, and the flowers have yellow stamens. All parts of the Lenten rose are poisonous. If plant sap touches the skin, it may cause temporary skin irritation. Ingesting large quantities of the plant leads to burning of the mouth and throat, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea. For cultivation, the Lenten rose grows best in shaded or partially shaded locations in humus-rich soil, and cultivated varieties come in a wide range of colors. It is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9, tolerating temperatures as low as −15 to −20 °C (5 to −4 °F). German planters started breeding H. orientalis in the mid-19th century, with their breeding efforts enhanced by new plant material from the Caucasus that was obtained through the St Petersburg Botanic Garden. Newly bred varieties were quickly introduced to the United Kingdom. Breeding and horticultural interest in this species peaked in the late 19th century, but the genus had lost popularity among gardeners by the 1920s. The Lenten rose returned to horticultural popularity in the 1960s, when Helen Ballard bred many new varieties of the plant. Cultivated varieties can produce flowers that are white, green, pink to maroon, purple, or spotted.
