Well, it certainly is interesting at least. What is the source and context for this quote? One logical possibility is that when the seedlings mature and bloom, they can be very different from the parent. So, say you have a white parent, if seedlings grow up around the plant and they turn out one mauve, one spotted, and one light pink, the entire clump could be viewed as muddy. If this is what s/he meant then certainly it's possible, even likely, as garden seedlings are typically variable. If not, then I'm at least slightly bewildered. As for changing the color of the mother plant's flowers, it seems unlikely. Hellebore sepals can look radically different from year to year, so maybe this was reasoning without consideration for other environmental factors?

Mine have intertwined with abandon, and no muddies here! In fact, I like to plant two seedlings together so that the mature, flowering plant(s) has two colors of blooms.

Laura

A logical explanation has already been provided for this mistaken information (the seedling's blooms mixing in with the parent's), but I have to ask where in the heck you heard/read that one? Maybe just a friend? Certainly not in publication anywhere?

I read it on another internet forum. Just a hobbyist posting probably what they witnessed and explained by jgwoodard. I didn't think it was true, but before gently correcting this person I thought I'd try to corroborate here.

The context of the quote was a discussion of how to cheaply acquire hellobores and how many will seed readily.

Thanks,
jb

Thanks for satisfying my curiousity, JB. We come to the forums to learn, be it here or at other sites. Of coures, we do need to consider our sources!