Winter Rose

Winter Rose 'Marlon' (Helleborus Gold Collection 'Marlon') is a double flowered hellebore that carries the garden through the coldest months. It forms a low clump about 35cm tall and 40cm wide, and the flowers open rose pink then soften through blush to green as they age, so one plant shows several shades at once. Very little else flowers this well in winter shade.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers in the depths of winter. The display runs through the coldest weeks and holds for a long time, because hellebore flowers age slowly rather than dropping.
• Double blooms. Full petalled flowers, twice the substance of a single hellebore, on stems held clear of the leaves.
• Evergreen and frost hardy. The leathery foliage stays through the year and the plant is properly cold hardy, which suits tableland and southern gardens.
• Genuinely low maintenance. One tidy up a year, an annual feed, and it improves in the same spot for a decade.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart along the front of a shaded bed or a path. At that spacing the clumps touch without competing, and the flowers sit at a height where they are easy to see.

Mass planting under trees. A drift at 40cm spacing under deciduous trees is the classic use: winter light while the branches are bare, shade through summer.

Pots and small gardens. A 300mm pot near a door puts the winter flowers where you will look at them, and the compact size suits a courtyard bed.

Growing Winter Rose in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade is ideal, with morning sun and protection from hot afternoon sun. This is a cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean plant, frost hardy and at its best where winters are genuinely cold. It struggles in subtropical and tropical humidity, where crown rot sets in.

Soil. Rich, free draining soil with plenty of compost, ideally neutral to slightly alkaline. Heavy wet clay is the main killer, so raise the bed or add grit. Mulch lightly and keep it off the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in dry spells, since established plants are reasonably drought tolerant in shade. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser in early autumn to build the flower display.

Pruning. Cut the old leaves off at the base in late autumn, before the buds appear. This shows the flowers properly and takes any leaf spot with it. Otherwise leave the plant alone, because hellebores dislike being divided or moved.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied as tube stock: a young plant with a few leaves and a developing crown rather than a flowering specimen. Hellebores put their first season into roots, so expect leaves in year one and a first proper flowering in the second winter, building each year after that.

Tube stock travels well and establishes quickly if you plant it into prepared soil and keep the water up over the first summer. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse other plants for partial shade.
• Compare the range of frost hardy plants.
• Read our ideas for low growing border plants.
• See more plants for small gardens.

Common questions

Is it safe around pets and children?

No. All hellebores are toxic if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin, so plant it away from areas where small children or pets graze and wear gloves when you cut the old leaves off.

Will it flower in a warm climate?

It flowers best where winters are cold. In warm temperate gardens choose the coolest, shadiest spot with good drainage. Humid subtropical and tropical gardens are not suitable.

When do I cut the old leaves off?

Late autumn, just before the flower buds push up. Removing the tired foliage lets the flowers show and takes any leaf spot away with it.