Helleborus Magic Aubergine

Helleborus x hybridus 'Magic Aubergine' is the unstable version of the Aubergine Edged variety with very dark red flowers bordered in white to pink. Like other hellebores in the Magic series, its flowers will surprise the gardener as the single flowers are different from one plant to another, sometimes even on the same plant. Hellebore is a robust and very hardy plant that will enliven borders and the ground under shrubs, flower beds and pots on the terrace. Easy to grow, even in heavy soil, it thrives in shade or non-scorching sun.

Originating from Greece, Turkey, and the central and eastern Caucasus, Helleborus orientalis, also known as Lenten Rose, is a perennial plant of the ranunculus family that easily hybridizes with other species, resulting in hybrids with varied colours and forms. No variety names are given to these hybrids anymore; they are distinguished by their shape and colour characteristics. 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 an altitude of 2,000 m (6,562ft).

Hellebore x hybridus 'Magic Aubergine' forms a compact and leafy clump of about 40 cm (16in) in all directions, composed of palmate, slightly dentate, dark green and shiny basal leaves. These are evergreen and composed of 7 to 9 thick and toothed leaflets. They only live for 8 months and are regularly replaced by new leaves. Between February and April, double flowers with a diameter of 4 to 5 cm (2in) form among the foliage. These are cup-shaped, inclined flowers with a row of satin petals around a beautiful bunch of cream-yellow stamens. They are inclined downwards, allowing water to slide off like an umbrella, to protect the heart of the flower from rotting. Hellebore does not like to be moved once established, as the young plants take some time to flower. The seeds are sown by ants.

Use hellebores like elements of an ancient tapestry, mixing them with woodland plants in brighter colours. These perennials will be highlighted not far from Pieris, moderately sized rhododendrons, under conifers (especially in windy sites), surrounded by primroses, wood anemones, Corydalis, dicentras, cardamines, or spring-flowering bulbs and snowdrops. You can also accompany them with ferns and shade-loving irises to create a beautiful contrast a little later in the season. They can be planted in groups near the entrance of the house, in shady areas, to enjoy their early flowering up close. They are suitable as cut flowers and in borders, edges or even containers. Hellebore flowers do not fade like the majority of other flowers but dry out and remain decorative for a long time.