Hellebores

I just put in a bunch of different ones last year. Man do they look horrible. Some little buds in the ground...ratty looking leaves. No actual blooms yet.

Is this normal or should I be getting blooms already?

D

Daisygrrl,
My older hellebores, 3 and 4yrs. old, have a full head of flowers and some new leaves. The ones I planted or moved last year have only buds. I remove last years ratty leaves after the new blooms start opening. You're one zone colder then me so blooms are probably later. This is not true for the bears claw hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), the flowers form high above the leaves and leaves do not become ratty so cutting back the leaves is not necessary. This plant is short lived for me, about 2 or 3 yrs., but seeds well so I always have new plants.
So yes, it's normal.
Pixie

I understand it to be normal too. Take a gander at this thread..it might help http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/580543/

I have some H. niger that are over 100 years old - obviously here before I was! - which bloom through the winter. The H. orientalis are just budding up and will be blooming soon. The leaves of these two ALWAYS look awful in the spring and can be cut down with no problem. Once the weather warms a bit they will be putting up new foliage.

I had some H. foetidus, but as the species name implys, they do stink. I moved them away from the house - everytime the dogs ran through they would stir them up and they were quite near the bedroom window - and seem to have lost them. They are very neat looking plants, aside from the aroma, and I may just have to find some replacement.

You folks are right...I went outside and cut back the skaggy looking leaves, and I do see either buds or some vague sign of life back in the crown.

Maybe it's gonna be ok after all!

Thanks. I love them and hope they'll bloom for me.

Well, you folks know what you're talking about. Look at the little bud on one of my helebores yesterday. I think there's hope!

Hey, how come you don't have any snow?!!! Looks good.

Kathleen, no, (thankfully), we don't have a bit of snow here...it's been in the 40s and even the 50s since the last snow, which wasn't much and was gone in a day.

Is Panama north of Albany?

daisygrrl

lol, noooo, southwest of Buffalo. and it is snowing as I type!

Hello all,
I am in Niagara County and we haven't had enough snow to even shovel this year. My helleborus along with several other very hardy plants took quite a hit this year because we didn't have any snow cover. Many of my perennials that stay green through the winter including my strawberries all have leaves that are were damaged by the freezing wind and rain . I have several flower buds on the helleborus that should be opening soon but no leaves. I cut the leaves back this week end since they were all brown and brittle.

Penny