Hellebores are typically considered winter and spring flowering plants. When all else in the yard is quiet, calm and might appear void of life, hellebore blooms light up even the darkest corners. The Helleborus genus consists of approximately 20 perennial and evergreen species, most of which tend to bloom in winter and spring.
Most of us will be familiar with lenten roses, Helleborus orientalis, with numerous different cultivars of this species flowering in various colors, from yellow to deep maroon and every color in between. One of my favorite hellebore species is the 'stinking hellebore', Helleborus foetidus, so named for an unpleasant odor emitted when the foliage is crushed. This species has striking yellow-green flowers that seem to go on and on, and last long into the spring.
