They are not labeled as the same plant are they?

Yes! These plants all came from the same tray of helleborus x hybridus "Pine Knot Select". Actually I am a bit confused because I thought the "Select" were hand pollinated and yet I was told that these were open pollinated when I got them at PKF. The labels say "Pine Knot Select".

Helleborus hybridus, used to be known as the Orientalis hybrids have a lot of different species blood in them from the breeding done over the last 50 years.

If you get a chance to look at foliage of the species, H. orientalis, H. purpurascens, H. cyclophyllus, H.torquatus, H. odorus, H. multifidus, H. dumertorum and others then you'll see lots of source of leaf shape that merge together to become the H. hybridus that Pine Knot select is a selection of.

I'm surprised they're naming "Select" from open pollinated plants. Seems a bit of a con!

Lots of people in the UK grow the species for the leaf form alone, the fact they have subtle and beautiful flowers is a bonus.

Cheers Greenmanplants.

I wasn't told they were "Select", I was told they were open pollinated, but then I was given some labels to go with the plants and they said "Select". I did not pay the "Select" price. So I am confused ... I don't want to make it sound like PKF told me they were hand pollinated "Select" plants because they did not. I kind of think the guy was just trying to give me some labels and that what he had was "Select" labels.

They seem to be getting a bit too much sun where I planted them. It's under a locust tree but the leaves have dropped already. And it's against the east side of the house so it's sunny for a few hours but then shade all afternoon. I assume they will adapt ... I had a couple hellebores there before and they grew well there.

Ok, Sounds fair enough. If you get a chance follow through on the connection PKF have with Ashwood nurseries in the UK. They have some pretty good Hellebores there.

Your couple of hours sun but shaded from the heat of the day sounds pretty good, especially if you've had hellebores there before. These guys have probably spent most of their lives in a polytunnel of some sort and have never seen direct sun, I would imagine they'll settle down quick enough.

Cheers Greenmanplants.