Page 47 - Free State Spring 2022 - June FINAL

the undesirable ones. If one plant was really special, that plant could be divided
to keep the genetics by leaving the parent plant in the garden and digging down
to cut off a portion of the crown and the rhizomatous roots. The new division
might take a year or two before blooming again while
the parent plant would continue to bloom. Another
way to divide the plants would be digging up the
plant, wash off all the soil on the roots to better
see the plants, cut the crown into
sections always leaving at least 3
growing buds with each section
and replant. The transplant
may take 2-3 years to bloom.
Modern technology has made it
possible to create huge numbers
of a beautiful new varieties with
the same genetics through tissue
culture. Many nurseries still hand
pollinate flowers to create new
varieties with new colors or
greater vigor.

Helleborus orientalis is the
most popular of the flowering
Hellebores in Maryland
gardens, showing off the
bright whites, soft pinks
and dark purples. Cross
pollination has brought
many new colors, flowers
that bloom higher over the
foliage, have outwardly
facing blooms and
most exciting, flowers
with multiple tepals.
Some lovely single tepal
varieties worth looking
at include the Christmas
Rose Hellebore x Ivory Prince
(Helleborus ‘Walhelivor’), a
vigorous hybrid that has
blue green evergreen foliage
that rises 12-18 inches high
and 18-24 inches wide in a
compact mound. The large
number of buds are deep
pink that open to beautiful
5 petal ivory blooms that
are held above the foliage with

(continued on next page) Ice N' Roses Red
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