Winter Rose

Winter Rose 'Cinnamon Snow' (Helleborus x ballardiae 'Cinnamon Snow') flowers in the coldest, darkest part of the year, in the shaded ground where almost nothing else will. It forms a low clump about 35cm high and 40cm across, and opens creamy white blooms in late winter that deepen to soft cinnamon pink as they age, holding for weeks.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers in the dead of winter. Blooms open from late winter and last for weeks, at the point in the year when a garden has nothing else to offer.
• Colour that changes as it ages. Cream flowers gradually take on a warm cinnamon pink, so one plant shows two tones at once.
• Built for shade. It wants the dappled light under deciduous trees or on the south side of a fence, which is the hardest spot in most gardens to plant.
• Genuinely cold hardy. Frost hardy and untroubled by tableland and southern winters, and tolerant of poor soil once established.

Where it works best

Shaded borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart along a shaded path or bed edge. At that spacing the leaves overlap into a continuous low band and the flowers read as a drift rather than dots.

Mass planting under trees. Groups of five or more at 40cm centres suit the ground beneath deciduous trees, which gives winter light and summer shade in exactly the right order.

Pots and rockeries. A pot 300mm or wider on a shaded verandah lifts the flowers to eye level, where the detail shows.

Growing Winter Rose in Australia

Position and climate. Part to full shade, with morning sun at most. This is a plant for cool temperate and warm temperate gardens, and it performs best where winters are genuinely cold. Subtropical and tropical summers are too hot and humid for it.

Soil. Free draining, with compost or leaf litter worked through. It tolerates poor soil, but not waterlogging. Mulch lightly and keep the mulch off the crown, which rots if buried.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer while the roots establish, then only in dry spells. It resents drought and sodden ground equally. A light feed of complete fertiliser in early autumn, just before the buds form, is all it asks.

Maintenance. Cut off the older leaves in late autumn, before the flower buds push up. This makes the flowers far more visible and removes the tired foliage that carries leaf spot.

What to expect when it arrives

Hellebores are sold here as tube stock. Your plant arrives as a young rooted crown with a few leaves and no flowers, and it usually takes a full year in the ground before its first proper flowering season. That is normal for the genus and worth the wait, because established clumps flower harder every year and live for decades.

Tubes travel well, with little top growth to damage. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, which suits a plant most people buy in groups for a shaded bed. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The best groundcover plants for shaded gardens
• Browse other plants for partial shade
• Plants suited to cool climate gardens
• Perennials for a cottage garden planting

Common questions

Is it safe around pets?

No. All parts of a hellebore are toxic to cats and dogs, and the sap can irritate skin. Wear gloves when cutting old leaves, and plant it away from a pet that chews foliage.

Will it grow in a warm climate?

It is at its best in cool temperate gardens and manages in warm temperate ones with deep shade and drainage. Subtropical and tropical gardens are too humid for it.

How far apart should I plant it?

Forty centimetres apart for a massed shade planting. Clumps widen slowly, so at that spacing they knit together over two to three seasons without ever needing dividing.

Why has it not flowered yet?

Young plants usually skip their first winter and flower in their second. Shade, drainage and an autumn feed bring that first season forward.