Carefree Winter Blooms

Lenten rose is a favorite perennial for cool-weather color.

With the blooming of Lenten ose (Helleborus orientalis) coinciding perfectly with the 40 days of Lent, gardens from Maryland to Texas come alive with a wide array of colors. There's nothing so uplifting as seeing this perennial's large, saucershaped flowers breaking out of the deep green foliage and offering their shades of red, white, purple, and green from February to April.

While Lenten rose has been a favorite of Southern gardeners for generations, breeders have recently developed an even better strain called Royal Heritage. These new hybrids have a superior flower and leaf form as well as an extended bloom time.

A Good Home

The only trick to filling your yard with these sculptural beauties is to plant them in a favorable location. Because Lenten rose is sensitive to wet feet, select a site with adequate drainage, such as a hillside, or one with rich, porous soil. Adding compost before planting helps them get off to a good start and avoid problems with rot in the winter. A light application of lime to clay soil will promote healthy growth and plenty of flowers.

Besides good drainage, Lenten rose also requires partial to full shade, either beneath a tall tree or against a wall. The farther South you live, the more shade these perennials require. Lenten rose looks best in clumps of various colors beneath large, old trees.

Because few other plants bloom in the shade this time of year, Lenten rose is perfect for adding a touch of color to a dark understory or naturalized area. The foliage is equally interesting and provides beautiful structure to a garden throughout the year.

One Tough Bloom

But what really makes Lenten rose so special is the wonderful diversity and resilience of the flowers. Ranging in color from pink to white to black, the options are endless. Lenten rose also comes in combinations of pink and white or red and white, as well as in single or double forms.

The flowers will begin to emerge in the middle of winter, depending on where you live, and usually last well into spring. The blooms, which can handle temperatures well below freezing, actually require a warm period followed by a cold period to break dormancy and germinate. So don't wait till spring to look for color in your garden; celebrate Lent with these fantastic flowers. EDWIN MARTY

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Jan 2004
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