Helleborus orientalis Alba

Common Name:
White Winter Rose

Description:
Helleborus orientalis 'Alba' is a graceful, winter-flowering perennial prized for its elegant, nodding white blooms that bring brightness to shady garden spaces during the cooler months. Often referred to as a Lenten or Winter Rose, this variety produces delicate, cup-shaped flowers on sturdy stems above clumps of leathery, dark green foliage. Flowering from late autumn through early spring, 'Alba' adds early-season interest when little else is in bloom. It thrives in part to full shade and prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. Once established, it’s drought tolerant and low maintenance, making it a reliable performer in Melbourne gardens. Ideal for woodland settings, underplanting beneath deciduous trees, or shaded borders, Helleborus orientalis 'Alba' also makes an excellent cut flower and is known to naturalise beautifully over time.

Form:
*Shrub - Small
*Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding

Mature Size:
*Height: 40–60 cm
*Width: 40–60 cm

Aspect:
*Part Shade
*Full Shade

Flowering:
*Flowers in Winter
*Flowers in Early Spring

Flower Colour:
*White

Key Attributes:
*Suitable for Pots
*Perennial
*Herbaceous
*Shade Tolerant
*Low Maintenance
*Frost Tolerant
*Suitable for Underplanting
*Excellent Cut Flower

Toxicity:
Toxic to humans and animals if ingested. Can cause gastrointestinal symptoms; sap may also cause skin irritation. Handle with gloves and keep away from pets and children.

Companion Plants:
*Hosta spp.
*Brunnera macrophylla
*Pulmonaria ‘Sissinghurst White’
*Epimedium spp.
*Ferns (e.g., Dryopteris or Asplenium spp.)

For more information and photos of this species, Warners Nursery has detailed information available to the public here