H foetidus is so easy to grow.  Once you have one in your garden, you will probably have enough seedlings to supply the whole neighbourhood.  Niger (the Christmas Rose) on the other hand, is one of the more difficult hellebores to grow well, liking shade, and deep well-drained loamy soil. If you have a north facing slope this is the ideal situation.

H argutifolius corsicus is easy and very worthwhile and is happier in a quite sunny spot.  Larger growing than most hellebores, its large apple green flowers and metallic green foliage are always attractive.

After perhaps growing some of the above and some orientalis hybrids, thoughts often turn to the rarer species, most of which grow in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.  Because of their willingness to interbreed with other species it is difficult to get pure plants from nursery seed.

Here we must give grateful thanks to Will McLewin who for many years has undertaken seed collecting expeditions to some of the wildest places, and braved searing sun, torrential rain, nettle beds, bramble patches, biting insects and the odd civil war to bring us back pure seed. He has also discovered some new species such as croaticus, and has also persuaded other enthusiasts in difficult areas such as the Russian Caucasus and Georgia to collect seed from many different forms of the wild orientalis.

Growing species from seed is a slow business and germination can be erratic but once you get them past their first couple of years they are surprisingly tough. Try not to grow them in waterlogged soil and be aware many of them completely die away in summer. They will also appreciate a little more sun in the UK. than the hybrids.

We try to offer a few plants of the following each season but supplies may vary due to demand and slow germination. Check the books recommended, for shape and colours but be aware they are very variable in the wild and may not fit the pretty picture of them.

Atrorubens—seed from E. Slovenia. Generally purple/maroon

Croaticus—N.E.Croatia.  Green/purple veined flowers

Dumetorum– Slovenia & Hungary. A dainty plant, small green flowers.

Cyclophyllus Macedonia, N. Greece. Large Green or yellow flowers

Odorus Hungary & N Greece. Flowers similar to cyclophyllus. Scent like flowering currants.

Orientalis Georgia & Russia. White or cream.. With pink shading (abchasicus) or speckled (guttatus)

Multifidus Croatia, Slovenia, Italy. Green flowers. Leaves very variable.

Purpurascens Hungary. Dove grey flowers. Very pretty

Torquatus  Mainly from Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro. The most well known rare species. Very variable. often with blue black flowers outside, green, veined blue inside but sometimes entirely green with blue/black veining.

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