Helleborus orientalis 'White Duchess'

Common Name:
White Duchess Hellebore

Description:
Helleborus orientalis 'White Duchess' is a refined and elegant winter-flowering perennial known for its pristine white blooms that appear when most of the garden lies dormant. Flowering from late autumn through to early spring, this cultivar displays large, cup-shaped flowers with gently ruffled edges, sometimes featuring soft freckling or a blush of green at the centre. The deep green, leathery foliage forms a clumping base that remains attractive year-round, making it an excellent ground cover for shaded borders or woodland-style gardens. 'White Duchess' thrives in part to full shade and prefers a position with rich, well-drained soil, making it particularly well-suited to protected garden beds in Melbourne. Once established, it is drought tolerant and low maintenance, with the added benefit of being deer and rabbit resistant. Its serene white blooms brighten shady spots and work beautifully in cut flower arrangements.

Form:
*Shrub - Clumping / Grass-like / Mounding
*Ground Cover

Mature Size:
*Height: 30 to 45 cm
*Width: 40 to 60 cm

Aspect:
*Part Shade
*Full Shade

Flowering:
*Flowers in Winter
*Flowers in Early Spring

Flower Colour:
*White
*Green-tinged (occasionally)
*Lightly speckled (occasionally)

Key Attributes:
*Suitable for Pots
*Perennial
*Herbaceous
*Bee Attracting
*Suitable for Shady Spots
*Low Maintenance
*Frost Tolerant
*Cut Flower Suitable
*Deer Resistant
*Rabbit Resistant

Toxicity:
Toxic to humans and animals if ingested. All parts of the plant are considered poisonous. Sap may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals—gloves recommended when handling.

Companion Plants:
*Pulmonaria spp.
*Heuchera spp.
*Epimedium spp.
*Hosta spp.
*Ferns (such as Dryopteris or Blechnum species)