Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
janepa_gw

Do you have Ivory Prince, Candy Love, . . .

janepa
14 years ago

I am going to add hellebores to my garden and these are the four of many I found that appeal to me - 'Ivory Prince', 'Candy Love', 'Winter Dreams Pale Pink', 'Winter Dreams Pink Anemone' , tc Ashwood Elegance Snow . I would like to know your opinion of each.

Also, is it to late in the season to plant them now? Pine Knot has all four available, and Judith said while they cannot promise that they will all bloom in the spring, all of them are mature enough that this would be possible.

Thank you for any advice you can give this 'newbie' to hellebores.

Jane

PS: I saw a photo of Ivory Prince in a gardening magazine and he hooked me.

Comments (6)

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Now is a perfect time to plant them :-)

    'Ivory Prince' is arguably the best of the recent hybrids to come on the market and one that I would not be without for length of bloom period, flower coloring and all around good looks and vigorous habit. I've posted about it on this forum extensively in the past. 'Candy Love' is very similar in appearance so not sure I'd necessarily want one of each, unless you are evaluating the merits of thw two......and I'd put my money on 'Ivory Prince' :-)

    The others are just selected seed strains of Helleborus x hybridus, several with double flowers. I've not grown the Pine Knot seed strains myself and I prefer to select any of the xhybridus when they are in bloom to be able to assess coloring and markings properly. But IMO, all are about the same regardless of source. You should also be aware that the double or anemone flowered hellebores do tend to hang down and are more difficult to see well when in bloom. I prefer the more upright flowers of some of the other hybrids as well as the more attractive foliage but you do not get the extent of range of colors in flowers with hybrids other than xhybridus.

  • janepa
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you gardengal. I am definitely going to get Ivory Prince. In regard to the hellebores with more upright flowers, would you please share the ones that you like, and if you have photos that would be great. I have read a lot of posts and it seems that it is recommended that we purchase our hellebores while blooming if color etc. matter. Does that mean that even though we order a specific named variety it might not look like my neighbor's with the same name?

    Of the anemone type, can they be grown in a container/pot that can be hung at a height where the flowers can be seen better? If not, why, where or how do gardeners plant this type?

    I am sorry if these are basic questions or not very bright ones, but as I said I am just starting out with hellebores. Now ask me a question or two about daylilies and I might be able to contribute.
    Thank you. Jane

  • ladywindsurfer
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have grown H. x 'Ivory Prince' since it was introduced into my market area and consider it to be an outstanding plant.
    As gardengal stated, the flowering period is exceptionally long and the foliage is attractive all year.

    I also have a number of 'Candy Love' (H. x ballardiae) and 'Snow Love' (H. x ericsmithii) that have attractive flowers and foliage.
    All of the above mentioned plants were produced via micropropagation (Tissue Culture) and for the most part, are identical clones of the parent plant. The only variation I've detected, is a slight variation in foliage, from plant to plant and that may be because of their young age.

    I also agree that, if you want a particular color of flower, you should see the plant in bloom before purchase.
    No matter how carefully pollination is controlled in seed strains, the genetic variability of plants can produce flowers of a different color. Two years ago, I purchased about one hundred Hellebores from a well respected TC Lab, assuming they were TCs, since there was no disclosure to the contrary and received seedlings of various colors, some were even doubles, although I didn't order those. So far, only one plant has produced flowers that matched the tags provided with them. To say that I am keenly disappointed, would be an understatement!

    Before ordering online and paying exorbitant shipping charges and receiving very small plants, I would check with local nurseries. At this time of the year, Hellebores should be in stock or soon arriving. I have found that you can purchase a gallon sized plant, often at a lower price than you would pay for a 4" pot from mail-order sources.
    For example, I paid $6.50 for one-gallon 'Ivory Prince'
    and $2 each for 'Candy Love' & 'Snow Love' in 5" pots and in bloom. Of course I've paid more for H. x hybridus from specialty growers/hybridizers, that have unusual or desirable flower colors. (In bloom, of course!)

    I should also mention, Hellebores hate wet feet! Under those conditions, they will reward you by turning up their toes (roots) and die!
    Select a site with humus-rich, WELL-DRAINED soil, with morning sun, bright reflected light or all day dappled shade. In your Zone, they would probably tolerate more direct sunlight than they can withstand here. After becoming established in a suitable location, they are somewhat drought tolerant and only require supplemental irrigation during long periods without rainfall.

    Once you become addicted to these winter flowering beauties, you will wonder why you didn't plant some long ago!
    I have been growing H. x hybridus for more than 25 years and have hundreds of them, in many colors and combinations of colors. Along the way, 12 additional Helleborus species and many seed strains have been added. In addition to the uncounted quantity of seedlings found each year under and near some mother plants, they appear like weeds all over the garden, pathways and in the lawn (ants, beetles, hard at work)?
    That suits me, as I enjoy flowering plants, wherever they appear, especially during cold winter days, when the garden is best observed by peering out my windows!

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Jane, I've attached a link that you may find helpful. It is a wonderful website that was created by a fellow Garden Webber, although I haven't seen much of him here lately :-)

    If you have the chance to go through it at a leisurely pace, you'll discover there are many different types of hellebores, both species and hybrids. The vast majority of gardeners tend to focus on the hybrids - for one, they are much more readily available than many of the species and often a lot hardier and easier to grow. But even with the hybrids there will be a lot of variation.

    Probably the most popular of the hybrids is H. x hybridus (sometimes called in error H. orientalis). This plant has a very complicated parentage but that has resulted in the widest range of flower colors of any of the hellebores - everything from pure white to golden yellows, peaches and apricots, pinks, purples and near black. And few shades in between :-) It is also the only hybrid to produce bicolored flowers (called picotees) and ones that are heavily marked with contrasting splotches or speckling. And there are double flowered forms as well. But the offset to this huge range of colors is that the flowers tend to nod or hang down, rather than being held upright. This tends to obscure their beauty a bit but not to the point of being a huge disadvantage. And hybridizers are working like mad to breed x hybridus selections with more upward facing flowers.

    And because of the wide range of color possibilities, these are the type of hellebore that are best selected in bloom if you are seeking a specific color or marking pattern. Virtually all are grown from seed and while they take great pains to isolate the different colors, it is not foolproof. And the plants are just very variable anyway. There are a few named forms that are propagated by tissue culture, as ladywindsurfer mentioned, and they will be identical in appearance or very nearly so to any photos you may see but this guaranteed coloring comes at a price - these cultivars are generally more expensive than the seed strains and sometimes substantially so.

    Many of the other types of hybrids (like 'Ivory Prince', 'Candy Love', etc.), while not offering the same range of colors, have other attributes -- like the upward facing flowers, the very long bloom season or very handsome foliage. Colors tend to be very uniform to each cultivar, often because these are propagated by TC or because the cutivar is sterile and can't cross pollinate like x hybridus does so freely. These you don't need to see in bloom before you purchase and still be assured you are getting what the catalog or photo may show.

    Hope this answers a few of your questions. And do take the time to scroll through Joseph's website. You'll learn a lot!

    Here is a link that might be useful: excellent hellebore website

  • janepa
    Original Author
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you ladywindsurfer and gardengal48.

    What great information you have provided me, and I am trying to absorb it all.

    Ladywindsurfer - growing a plant for 25 years is a high recommendation indeed. That is how I feel about one of my favorite annuals - angelwing begonia. It gives so much for so little effort on my part. I need to be careful because I went overboard with daylilies (over 700) and became discouraged after some had a very limited blooming period and the foliage became rather ugly. I still have many, but they are now manegable and only the ones that meet my qualifications.

    Gardengal48 - last night I did a search on 'gardengal48', and I was reading until my head started to nod, and that was only three posts/replies. I have a lot more to go.

    I might be able to find this on doing a search under your names, but if you don't mind could you describe the areas you have your hellebores planted? Also, do you use pots?

    When I read some of the posts from gardengal48 it sounded like you might have a nursery for retail business? Please feel free to e-mail with any information you do not care to give here.

    Thanks again. Jane

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I live in the Pacific Northwest, which is almost an ideal hellebore growing climate -- OK, so it's almost ideal for pretty much anything :-) I just very recently relocated so I have a brand new garden I am just getting to know and have only just started planting but I grew a ton of hellebores in my previous garden of nearly 25 years. Hellebores are far more sun tolerant than most people think (they are not really "shade lovers" but merely shade tolerant) and several species would prefer to be grown in full sun. I grew a pretty full spectrum from many different species to countless hybrids and in partially shaded woodland settings to full sun.

    Although I have grown some in containers, hellebores are not the happiest under these conditions and I usually only have them in one for a single season, as part of a mixed display. They are best in the ground, where they can expand properly and develop the large stature and well-developed root system they prefer.

    I don't own a nursery (wouldn't want to, truth be told), but I've been a manager and buyer at several of the better local retail nurseries. I am also a certified horticulturist and write and teach about various plant-related subjects. I also own my own design and consultation business. And while I do know a good bit about hellebores, I am not an expert on the subject by any stretch. I am happy to try and answer any questions, but websites of serious hellebore specialists, like Joseph Woodard's, will be of equal, if not more, value.

Sponsored
SK Interiors
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars49 Reviews
Loudoun County's Top Kitchen & Bath Designer I Best of Houzz 2014-2022