Molly's White Hellebore

Molly's White Hellebore (Helleborus 'Molly's White') is the winter rose for the shaded corner nothing else will fill. It makes a neat evergreen mound about 40cm tall and 40cm wide, then lifts clean white flowers through the coldest months when the rest of the garden has shut down. Massed under deciduous trees it turns a dead season into the best one.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers in winter. White blooms open from mid winter into early spring and hold on the plant for weeks rather than days.
• Shade is what it wants. Dappled light under trees or a south facing bed suits it, which solves a spot most flowering plants refuse.
• Properly frost hardy. Cold does not bother it, and the foliage stays evergreen through a tableland or southern winter.
• Almost no work. One tidy up a year and an occasional feed. It is slow growing, so it never outgrows its place.

Where it works best

Mass planting and groundcover. Plant 40cm apart for a continuous woodland carpet. At that spacing the leaves close over the soil within two seasons and suppress most weeds.

Borders and small gardens. A low evergreen edge along a shaded path holds its shape all year and needs no clipping.

Pots and containers. A pot 300mm or wider in a shaded courtyard works well, and lifting the plant to seat height puts the flowers where you can see them properly.

Growing Molly's White Hellebore in Australia

Position and climate. Partial to full shade, with morning sun at most. It is a plant for cool temperate and warm temperate gardens, and it is genuinely happier the colder the winter. In warm humid districts and subtropical coasts it struggles, so those gardens are better served by a shade tolerant native.

Soil. Rich, free draining and slightly alkaline is ideal. Dig compost or aged manure through the bed before planting and mulch 50mm deep, keeping mulch off the crown, which rots if buried.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first two summers. Established clumps are drought tolerant but flower far better with steady moisture. A complete slow release fertiliser in early autumn sets up the winter display.

Pruning. Cut the old leaves off at the base in late autumn, before the flower buds push through. That one job removes leaf spot, tidies the clump and makes the flowers visible instead of buried in foliage.

What to expect when it arrives

Plants are grown in 200mm pots and sold in packs of six, which suits the way this plant is best used: in a group rather than as a single specimen. Six plants at 40cm spacing cover roughly a metre and a half of border.

Expect established, well leafed plants that may or may not carry buds depending on the season. Hellebores are slow, so allow a full year in the ground before the first serious flowering. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full range of plants for partial shade.
• Compare options in the best ground cover plants for shade.
• For cold districts, see our frost hardy plants.
• Find companions in perennial plants for a cottage garden.

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. Wear gloves when you cut the old leaves back, and place it away from pets that chew plants.

How far apart should I plant them?

Forty centimetres apart for a massed display. Wider spacing leaves bare soil for years, because these plants spread slowly rather than running.

Will it grow in Sydney or Brisbane?

Sydney gardens with a genuinely shaded, cool aspect can succeed. Brisbane and points north are too warm and humid for reliable results, and the plant tends to decline after a season or two.