Helleborus x ericsmithii 'Winters Song' - Hellebore

Helleborus x ericsmithii is a wonderful hybrid "Christmas rose", resulting from the joyful mix of the famous H. niger, H. lividus native to Majorca, and H. argutifolius originating from Corsica. As it does not exhaust itself by producing seeds, it delivers an abundance of single, fragrant flowers from January onwards, with an ivory-white colour that gradually turns pink over the days. They are gathered on floral stems that emerge from a beautiful foliage delicately marbled with silver. This perennial collector's plant is easy to grow in the sun or in partial shade, or even in shade, but in light and well-drained soil.

Helleborus x ericsmithii HGC JOKER 'Coseh 740', also known as 'Winter's Song', descends from H. x sternii, a horticultural hybrid initially obtained in England in 1939 by Dr. Frederic Stern. This excellent perennial plant, obtained in the 1970s, has inherited the tolerance to dry soils from the Corsican Hellebore, the beautiful colours of H. lividus, observed both on the foliage and the flowers, and the hardiness of H. niger. Its breeder, the British Eric Smith, is the originator of many Hosta ('Halcyon', 'Hadspen Blue'), Crocus tommasinianus 'Eric Smith', and Brunnera 'Hadspen Cream', among other treasures created for our gardens. 

'Winter's Song', as it is aptly named, is a very beautiful selection characterized by dark green foliage finely veined with light silver. It is also distinguished by its pink-purple stems and its large, single, nectar-rich and fragrant flowers. This perennial will reach a maximum height of 50cm (20in) when in bloom but will spread over time. A well-established plant can form a large clump with a diameter of 95cm (37in) after a few years. Flowering takes place in winter, more or less early depending on the climate. The floral stems bloom abundantly from January to April. The 10cm (4in) diameter flowers are simple and rounded, cup-shaped, with yellow stamens at their core. White when opening, they take on more or less pink-violet colouration on the outside, with the inside of the sepals often marked by a darker area. The foliage, usually evergreen and leathery, is composed of palmate leaves, quite wide, with toothed and spiny edges. Hellebores do not like to be moved: once established, young plants sometimes take 2 to 3 years to flower. This sterile variety, particularly delicate to divide, is often multiplied 'in vitro' by tissue culture.

Use Hellebores as elements of an ancient tapestry, mixing them with woodland plants of brighter colours. Unlike many other varieties, this Hellebore x ericsmithii prefers the sunny areas of the garden, allowing it to be admired up close and to breathe in the fragrance of its flowers along a path or at the edge of a bushwood. Its Mediterranean origins also allow gardeners in drier and warmer climates to adopt this different but fascinating Christmas rose, in shaded or partially shaded situations in this case. It can be planted in groups, like a bouquet, near the entrance of the house, to enjoy its extraordinary presence up close throughout the year. For example, it can be associated with Euphorbia amygdaloides, Iris reticulata 'Katharine Hodgkin', very red dwarf tulips 'Red Riding Hood', Geranium macrorrhizum, Glechoma hederacea, Algerian Iris or not too exuberant periwinkles.