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Hellebores Add Color To Shade

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - They're called the Lenten Rose, or the Christmas Rose, or you could call them the Valentine's Rose if you like, but by any name, Hellebores aren't roses nor even related to them.

Hellebores are deer-resistant perennials that people love because they bloom in cooler months when other plants don't. Hellebores also flower in the shade, which few plants do, so they can brighten spots under trees or in the shadow of your home, where only ferns or hostas usually grow.

Many hellebores have evergreen leaves, and the flowers come in colors from mauve to maroon to greyish purple, and eggplant to yellows and creamy whites. However, many hellebores have a habit of hanging their flower heads down as if they're ashamed of something and I don't like the look of them, so I don't have any in my garden. But lots of folks consider this droopy habit totally adorable and suggest planting hellebores on a hillside so you can look up at their nodding flowers.

So, make up your own mind; if you have shadier spots that could use some color in cooler months, consider Hellebores, the 'Lenten Rose.'

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