Painted Doubles Hellebore Helleborus 'Painted Doubles' Plant Height: 12 inches Flower Height: 16 inches Spacing: 18 inches
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Hardiness Zone: 4b Other Names: Lenten Rose, Winter Rose Group/Class: Winter Jewels Series Description: Large dangling buttercup-type double blooms are white splashed with fuchsia, with chartreuse centers; one of the first flowers to come up in cool weather and what a beautiful harbinger they are; great in woodland gardens and on shaded slopes Ornamental Features Painted Doubles Hellebore features showy nodding white cup-shaped flowers with chartreuse eyes and a fuchsia blotch at the ends of the stems from late winter to early spring. Its glossy oval compound leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the year. Landscape Attributes Painted Doubles Hellebore is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition. This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics. Painted Doubles Hellebore is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Painted Doubles Hellebore will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 16 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round. This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.
