Winter Rose

Winter Rose 'Ice N Roses Merlot' (Helleborus x hybridus) flowers when almost nothing else in the garden will. It forms a neat evergreen clump about 50cm tall and 60cm across, then carries deep merlot red to purple blooms right through the coldest months. This modern strain holds its flowers facing outwards rather than nodding at the ground.

Why you'll love it

• Colour in the empty season. Flowers open through winter and hold for weeks, filling the gap between autumn colour and spring.
• Blooms you can see. The Ice N Roses breeding gives outward facing flowers on strong stems, unlike older hellebores that hang their heads.
• Evergreen, not a die back plant. The leathery divided foliage stays through summer, so the space never reads as bare.
• It thrives in dry shade. Frost hardy, drought tolerant once established and content in poor soil, so it works under deciduous trees where little else copes.

Where it works best

Mass planting and borders. Plant 50cm apart for a massed winter display. At that spacing the clumps meet into a continuous evergreen carpet and the flowers read as a drift rather than scattered dots.

Under deciduous trees. The classic use and still the smartest. It gets shade from the canopy in summer and full winter light once the leaves drop.

Pots and small gardens. A pot 300mm or wider suits a single clump. Raised on a courtyard step, the flowers sit at eye level where the detail registers.

Growing Winter Rose in Australia

Position and climate. Partial shade is the target: morning sun with afternoon protection, or dappled light all day. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is thoroughly frost hardy. It is not a plant for the subtropics or tropics, where humid summers rot the crown.

Soil. It tolerates poor soil but rewards better. Give it a free draining bed with compost worked through. Waterlogged winter soil causes crown rot, so raise the bed on heavy clay and keep mulch off the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first two summers while the roots go down, after which it is genuinely drought tolerant. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser in early autumn as the flower buds form.

Pruning. Cut the previous season's old leaves off at the base in late autumn, before the flower stems come up. That single job shows off the blooms and removes any leaf spotting.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: tube stock, and 200mm plants in packs of six. Tube stock is a young crown with a few leaves and is the value option for a large massed planting, though it usually takes two seasons to flower properly. The 200mm plants are established clumps that will flower in their first winter with you.

Hellebores are slow to look impressive, and it is worth knowing that before you buy. The first year is about root establishment. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read our guide to perennial plants for a cottage garden.
• Browse more plants for partial shade.
• Compare our flowering plant range.
• See what suits cool climate gardens.

Common questions

Is it safe around pets and children?

No. All parts of a hellebore are toxic if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin. Plant it where pets and small children do not graze, and wear gloves when you cut the old foliage back.

How far apart should I plant it?

Fifty centimetres apart for a massed planting. That lets each clump reach its full 60cm width and knit with its neighbours without crowding the crowns, which is where rot starts.

Will it grow in Brisbane or Darwin?

No. This is a cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean climate plant. Subtropical and tropical summers are too humid for the crown.