Helleborus hybridus ViV Celestina

Viv Celestina is an Oriental Hellebore that stands out for its truly original flowering. Blooming for several weeks from September, this Lenten Rose has simple flowers, of a superb pink, splashed with red spots, illuminated by a heart of yellow stamens. This very floriferous variety with a compact habit will make a superb flowering pot on a balcony or terrace and can of course be planted in the garden where it will need a location protected from direct sunlight and soil that is not too dry, so that its beautiful cut foliage can flourish. Dark green and sculptural, this evergreen foliage is decorative all year round.

The ViV Hellebore series are varieties derived from in vitro multiplication. Unlike varieties derived from seed multiplication, Hellebores produced in vitro guarantee a flowering that is rigorously identical to the variety from which they originate. They therefore have the same genetic characteristics as the parent plant, are more vigorous and develop in a uniform manner.

Hellebore Viv Celestina belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, which includes about sixty genera and approximately 2500 species, most of which are poisonous. The species Helleborus orientalis is native to Greece, Turkey, and the central and eastern Caucasus. It is a perennial plant that hybridizes very easily with other species to produce many hybrids with various colours and forms. These hybrids are rarely given variety names; they are distinguished by their shape and colour. Oriental Hellebore is a hardy plant that can tolerate temperatures as low as -15°C (5°F), naturally growing in forests, thickets, and clearings up to 2,000 m (2,187 yards) altitude.

Celestina is part of a large collection of hybrids selected for their compactness and floribundity. This variety forms a tuft 35 to 45 cm (14 to 18in) high with an equivalent width. Its vegetation consists of palmate, slightly toothed, dark green and shiny, evergreen basal leaves which actually only live for 8 months and are regularly replaced by new leaves.
Celestina blooms for long weeks from September until October. Its simple flowers are composed of 5 rounded petals with slightly pointed tips, which form a flared corolla, from which a bouquet of yellow stamens emerges. This heart contrasts with the colour of the petals: a bright pink marbled with numerous red spots forming a central mark. This colour combination, which can commonly be found in other plants such as Iris, is truly original in Hellebores. As with most varieties, these brightly coloured corollas are arranged vertically, or even slightly inclined downwards, allowing water to slide off like an umbrella, avoiding accumulation in the heart that could cause rotting. Hellebore does not like to be moved once established, with young plants sometimes taking time to flower, so choose its location carefully.

ViV Celestina Hellebore will enchant your autumns with its lively and abundant flowering. It will fill the void at the end of the season and bridge the gap with winter-flowering plants, like the many other varieties of Hellebores, or delightful Cyclamen coum, an outdoor version of the well-known houseplant, with equally sophisticated and magnificent pink flowers. In a semi-shaded bed, you can associate it with plants with decorative foliage, such as Ophiopogon planiscapus Nigrescens, a perennial often mistaken for a grass, with its fine black leaves. The Hart's Tongue Fern (Phyllitis scolopendrium) with long, fairly bright green leaves will also be a perfect companion for Celestina's beautiful foliage. And if you prefer vibrant colours, explore the Heuchera genus, for instance Heuchera Marmalade, with foliage combining pink, orange, and bronze and summer flowering in pink-orange.