Common Name:
Stinking Hellebore
Description:
Helleborus foetidus is a hardy, evergreen perennial valued for its architectural foliage and reliable cool-season flowering. It forms handsome clumps of deeply divided, narrow, dark green leaves that provide year-round structure in shaded garden settings. From late winter into spring, it produces upright stems topped with clusters of nodding, bell-shaped, pale green flowers, often edged with maroon or burgundy. Despite its common name, the foliage only releases an unpleasant scent when crushed or damaged. Well-suited to Melbourne’s climate, this tough and drought-tolerant hellebore performs best in part shade to full shade with well-drained soil and is particularly useful in woodland gardens, underplanting schemes, or shaded borders. It is low maintenance once established and adds valuable winter interest when many other plants are dormant.
Form:
Shrub - Medium
Mature Size:
Height: 60–90 cm
Width: 45–75 cm
Aspect:
Part Shade
Full Shade
Flowering:
Flowers in Winter
Flowers in Spring
Flower Colour:
Pale green
Green with maroon edging
Key Attributes:
Disease Resistant
Bird Attracting
Bee Attracting
Herbaceous
Perennial
Drought tolerant once established
Evergreen
Suitable for Shade Gardens
Architectural foliage
Toxicity:
Toxic if ingested – poisonous to humans, dogs, cats and livestock. Sap may also cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals.
Companion Plants:
Ferns
Heuchera
Hosta
Cyclamen
Brunnera
Hakonechloa macra
Pulmonaria
For more information and photos of this species, Warners Nursery has detailed information available to the public here
