Hi LeAnne,

I don't know whether you should thin your seedlings, but if you would send some to me I can send some white old fashioned bleeding heart to you (it hasn't come up yet but I know a very large plant is there and has to be separated and moved). By the way, I hope yours are the colored hellebores.

Hi LeAnn,
The decision to thin or not to thin is mainly a cosmetic one, unless you plan to hybridize or keep the genetics of each plant separate. The plants will not suffer if you leave them, but when your seedlings mature they may vary considerably from the parent in size and also in flower color etc....
If you want it to have a bushy uneven look then leave them. There are parts of my garden where I let them reseed as if they are wild. Other parts are kept very tidy so I know what I'm hybridizing.

Joseph,
Many thanks for the information. My main concern was that the plants would not mature well because they are so crowded. They are located in a woodsy area so in my opinion the natural look will be an asset there.

One other question, Maryanne is asking for a trade and saying she hopes my hellebores are colored. I have four different types (some of which are colored) in this area. Do the seeds travel or is it likely that the seedlings will have the same color bloom as the plant closest to them?

LeAnne

If your plants are blooming at the same time in your garden and are open pollinated (not isolated from each other or hand pollinated) you would have to expect some variation in the bloom colors of the seedlings.

LeAnne, seeds can travel somewhat, but mine tend to stay put more on the hybrids. My H. foetidus seeds end up all over the place presumably because the elaiosome attracts so many ants.
The travelling is probably less of a problem than mixed genetics (hellebore hybrids are notorious for this problem), and it will be impossible to predict what the seedlings will be like no matter where the seedlings emerge. Pure white plants can yield seedlings that are pink or spotted even if they are only exposed to only their own pollen!
Having said that, some plants keep their attributes more than others. Honestly, there is no way to tell but of course a seedling from a dark parent is more likely to produce a dark colored offspring than a white flowered parent.
Plants that have been selected and hybridized for many generations often are more stable but then must be hand-pollinated to maintain that stability. Reports of seed "coming true" 80-90% of the time are not uncommon these days.
Sorry about the long reply, but this is an issue that must be emphasized.

Joseph,
Please don't apologize for the length of your reply -- you gave me exactly the information I was seeking! Thank you.

LeAnne

The short answer is yes. Remove the seedlings...very carefully if you want them to survive. Loosen the soil a good 4-6" down and round the seedlings, lift carefully avoiding bruising the young stem and take a little soil with them if you can, you'll find 6" of root on 2" of topgrowth, (best to lift them while they're very small(first true leaf stage).
Pot them up in deep pots making sure the tip of the root is pointing down, or plant them out in a bit of space. 2-4 years to find out if you have a load of rubbish, or some really nice plants.
Best to hand pollinate and collect seed specially than use open pollinated plants.

Cheers Greenmanplants