Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.
Issue link: https://wellesleywestonmagazine.epubxp.com/i/92498
rose, and H. foetidus, the stinking hellebore, both hardy in our zone 6. Breeders have been interested in hellebores since the mid- 20th century and the best features of the Christmas and Lenten types have been crossed to produce a vast choice of what are referred to as H. hybridus. Flowering is prodigious and for a long period, with the white flowers of H. niger punctuated with gleaming yellow stamens and turning a lovely pink with age. The large (two- to four-inches across) cup-shaped, rose-like blooms on H. orientalis appear later in winter and provide a nodding array of colors from pink and white to purple, while those of H. foetidus are a shimmery green- ish-white. The dark green leaves on all species have a sculptural quality, broad and leathery, divided into seven to nine seg- ments. The foliage stays lower than the flow- ers and provides a lovely foil to the flower colors. Plant them in a shady sheltered loca- tion out of the wind in moist but well- drained and well-mulched soil. Cutting back the blooms after flowering will promote new foliage growth. The Christmas rose can be slow to establish, which is perhaps why folks find growing them to be difficult, but be patient and you will be rewarded. If guaran- teed success is what you're looking for, then start with the Lenten rose. A quirky botanical fact is that hellebores protect themselves from frost by withdraw- ing moisture from their flowers when tem- 25 winter 2012/2013 | WellesleyWeston Magazine