Helleborus hybridus ViV Micaela

Oriental Hellebore ViV Micaela is a recent variety that will delight lovers of winter blooms. Flowering for several weeks from January, this Lenten Rose has large, white double flowers, with a green centre that contrasts well with the petals. Forming a small compact clump, it is a robust, generous, and hardy perennial, easy to grow in all regions, in slightly moist humus soil, in the garden or in pots. Grow it in partial shade, at the base of trees, in the company of other perennials that appreciate their shade.

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

Hellebore (or Christmas Rose) Micaela belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, which includes about sixty genera and approximately 2500 species, mostly herbaceous. 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, giving hybrids with very varied colours and forms which are rarely given variety names. The Oriental Hellebore is a hardy plant that can withstand temperatures as low as -15 °C, naturally growing in forests, thickets, and clearings up to 2,000 metres (2,187 yards) above sea level.

Micaela is part of a wide range of hybrids selected for their compactness and floribundity. This variety forms a clump only 35 to 45 cm (14 to 18in) high, with a width of about thirty. Its vegetation consists of palmate, slightly dentate, dark green, and shiny, evergreen basal leaves which actually only live for 8 months and are regularly replaced by new leaves. Micaela blooms in the middle of winter, mainly from January to February. Its double flowers are particularly large compared to other Hellebores, a slightly lemony white, with a contrasting green heart. These flowers are carried by long peduncles that stand out clearly from the mass of foliage, highly visible with their size and light colour. They are inclined downwards to let the water slide off like an umbrella and protect the heart, which would otherwise rot. Hellebore does not like to be moved once established, with young plants sometimes taking time to flower, so be careful to choose their location well.

Hellebores are useful perennial plants for winter. Micaela is particularly commendable because its high-perched white flowers stand out well from a distance and will brighten up a winter bed. To enjoy flowers all winter, plant it with the charming Cyclamen coum, whose, original pink flowers will accompany and extend those of Micaela. Also consider Bergenias, which will take over and continue blooming until early summer if you choose different varieties from the wide range available in shades of white to pink. To also satisfy your sense of smell, go for Sarcococca orientalis, a small evergreen shrub which grows very well in the shade and whose unassuming white flowers exhale a delicious fragrance in the middle of winter.