Helleborus hybridus ViV Catharina

Oriental Hellebore Catharina is a variety of the Viv series with very early flowering. Appearing from October and for several weeks, this flowering is highlighted by the dark evergreen foliage, decorative all year round. The very double flowers are deep pink, veined with dark pink, with a yellow stamen centre forming a pleasant contrast with the petals. This hardy perennial forms a beautiful clump that grows in light to dense shade depending on the climate.

Hellebores of the ViV series are obtained through in-vitro multiplication. Unlike varieties obtained through seed multiplication, Hellebores produced by in-vitro guarantee flowering rigorously identical to the variety they come from. They have the same genetic characteristics as the mother plant, are more vigorous, and develop uniformly.

Hellebore Catharina belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, which includes about sixty genera and around 2500 species, mostly herbaceous. The species Helleborus orientalis is native to Greece, Turkey, and the centre and east of the Caucasus. It is a perennial plant that readily hybridizes with other species to produce many hybrids with varied colours and forms. Names of varieties are rarely given to these hybrids, they are distinguished by their shape and colour. Oriental Hellebore is a hardy plant that can tolerate temperatures as low as -15 °C, naturally growing in forests, thickets, and clearings up to 2,000 m (2,187 yards) altitude.

Catharina forms a clump that reaches 45 to 55 cm (18 to 22in) in height and about forty in width, which will grow in light shade of deciduous trees or even in denser shade, such as that found in the undergrowth. Its growth consists of palmate basal leaves, slightly dentate, dark green and glossy. These are evergreen leaves which actually live for only 8 months and are regularly replaced by new leaves. They provide a perfect dark background that highlights the flowers from October until February, depending on the climate. These flowers are very double, with beautiful pink petals finely veined with darker pink surrounding a well-filled heart of yellow stamens that harmonizes perfectly with the pink petals. Like other varieties, they are pendulous, allowing water to slide off like an umbrella, protecting the flower's heart from rotting. Hellebores do not like to be moved once established, and young plants sometimes take time to bloom, so be careful to choose their location well when planting.

This Hellebore has graceful flowers that stand out well from the foliage and will be perfect in a partially shaded bed to brighten up autumn during dark days. Plant it alongside Autumn Asters like the Aster ageratoides 'Starshine', which forms a carpet of small star-shaped white flowers from July to October. You can also focus on staggered blooming to enjoy flowers for a large part of the year. For winter, there are plenty of other varieties of Hellebores that offer white, green, pink, or red flowers until early spring, when the Epimediums take over with their colourful small and graceful flowers. Finally, the superb Heucheras will bring the beauty of their multicoloured foliage - pink, red, chocolate, gold, purple - among the most decorative in the plant kingdom, as well as the charm and lightness of their early summer flowering.