Helleborus hybridus ViV Patrizia

Helleborus x hybridus ViV Patrizia is a very recent variety that stands out for the beautiful reddish colour of its flowers. Blooming for several weeks from September , this Lenten Rose produces simple, well-coloured flowers that are visible against the dark green foliage. These sculptural, cut evergreen leaves are decorative all year round. It is a robust and hardy perennial, easy to grow in all regions, even slightly heavy soil, although it prefers humus-rich soil. It needs to be protected from strong sunlight and can thrive in marked shade.

The ViV® Hellebores are varieties resulting from in-vitro multiplication. Unlike varieties resulting from seed sowing, Hellebores produced by in-vitro guarantee a flowering that is rigorously identical to the variety they come from. They have the same genetic characteristics as the mother plant, are more vigorous, and develop in a uniform manner.

Hellebore Patrizia belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, which includes about sixty genera and around 2,500 species, most of which are poisonous. The species Helleborus orientalis is native to Greece, Turkey, and the centre and east of the Caucasus. It is a perennial plant that hybridizes very easily with other species, resulting in randomly sown hybrids with many varied colours and forms. These hybrids are rarely given variety names; they are distinguished by shape and colour. 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 m (7ft) altitude.

This variety forms a tuft 35 to 45 cm (14 to 18in) tall with an equivalent width consisting of palmate, slightly toothed, dark and shiny green evergreen basal leaves which live for 8 months and are regularly replaced by new leaves.
Patrizia starts blooming from September and continues for long weeks, until October. Its simple flowers are made up of 5 delicately wavy petals, giving it a rather romantic appearance. The deep red corollas are extremely decorative and highlighted by the foliage. As with most varieties, they are arranged in a vertical plane, or even slightly inclined downwards, allowing water to slide off like an umbrella, avoiding accumulation in the centre that could cause rotting. Hellebore does not like to be moved once established, with young plants sometimes taking time to flower, so choose their location well.

With its well-coloured flowers, this Hellebore will be the star of autumn. It will enliven a semi-shaded bed where you can associate it with Aster divaricatus, which is also well adapted to shaded situations. Its small star-shaped white flowers will harmonize pleasantly with the deep red of Patrizia. If you like strong contrasts, plant Salvia Uliginosa African Skies in the background, a fairly tall Sage, about 1.50 m (5ft), with spikes of an incredible azure blue. Pretty Campanula glomerata Joan Elliot with violet flowers, blooms at the same time but is better separated from Patrizia by white flowers or variegated foliage, such as Hosta Minuteman to avoid any clash of tastes...