Nigers can be difficult to establish and they really need sharp drainage. If the situation was not ideal, they may simply have rotted away. Did you experience the very wet growing season last year that much of the east coast did? That may have played a big role in their disappearance. (and yes, if they survived, you should see foliage and at this time of year, flowers)

Gone, Gone, Gone...All gone, bye bye. Yes we did have a very very wet year. Quite unusual for us. Oh well, there's always next year, and a bit of soil amending for insurance..Thanks

They're ba'ack. Cool, at least one is back for now. It is sending up new growth now. It is about an inch tall right now, no sign of the other two, but maybe they'll be up shortly. Whew!

Gardengal48,
Believe it or not my niger foliage for the most part dies back over the winter. This springs foliage had very Little green left on niger, we had deep frost. I always thought from viewing pictures that niger would winter handsome foliage, but I have found that the hybridus growing near niger has more attractive foliage than niger.

I thought my nigers had died, but they will be flowering with hybridus.

Bruce

My Nigers are all but over, but the 'Nigercors' and the hybridus are going strong.

I find niger quite difficult to flower well in the open garden, I have one good plant that has been in situ for 8 years or so, in a very sheltered spot under an evergreen Eucalyptus in amongst semi evergreen ferns, to get the best of it I leave those ferns surrounding it in full foliage until I see the flower buds emerging on the niger. The ferns get cut back and niger blooms profusely for a month or so, the seed are nearly setting now.

I have tried in lots of other spots but only the most sheltered from the elements seem to do well. Torquatus seems very similar.

They must have good drainage or you will lose them!!

Cheers Greenmanplants

Well it seems I've lost two plants. One survived and is sending up lots of new foliage. It even has one flower bud showing. After reading the other threads, though, we have a heavy deer problem here, I hope they keep away. They've eaten everything else in the bed, except my peonies and some of the shrubs that are still dormant.

Don't know about your deer, but British deer stay away from Hellebores.

Cheers Greenmanplants