RootDigger, I love this hellebore as well, but have to admit I'm a bit baffled about it blooming now. It's normal bloom is a bit after Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose), so, usually late late winter, ala March-April. So, you've a precocious baby, at least, enjoy! Any reason you can think of why it's months early? From my experience, where this hellebore becomes established and happy, it seeds with great exhuberence, you can then transplant the small seedlings.Since yours is blooming early, an astute artist brush pollination would help. And, Puppyscruff, hellebores are one herb that is quite toxic... I don't know of any herbalists who use it in the US, have never heard it mentioned at any herb conferences I attend.Curious though, what you've found. And, this lovely plant Doesn't Stink at all, to my nose, it's a bit acridly greeny smelling, kinda interesting in it's complexity.

jgwoodard, In all honesty, the seeds that I have sought are based purely on a selfish desire to grow certain genus/species that I simply want in my garden. I seem to have only tried genus that claim hardy to zone 7, and, as much as I live in zonal denial, I still have not tried growing any zone 8 genus/species from seed... now there's a thought. ;o) Since I am, by nature, a true pack rat, then I should still have the original article about 'The Provenance Theory' which I had read a good ten years ago. This article has truly stuck in my mind as it simply was a validation of what I had believed, and tried, all along. Simply stated, it is believed that when a seed begins its life in a colder zone than it has been living and growing, some genetic memory is 'unlocked'... brought on by the extreme cold conditions that the seed has now found itself in... nature's plants sole purpose is survival and continuance of its species and, therefore, will access its genetic memory and ability to do so under much different conditions than 'normal'. I start all of my seed in outdoor seed beds where nature can provide all of the cold stratification necessary to turn the key to this genetic memory. I laugh at your heresy comment, as both John Dudley (Elizabeth Town Hellebores) and Roy Herold ('The Arisaema Page' and breeder of many well known Hosta, including 'Red October') find my growing habits 'shocking'. When I had emailed John Dudley to tell him of just how wonderful his H. lividus seedlings were doing, he sent me an email in return where I could just about see his jaw hitting the floor... of course I have promised him that I would continue to keep him up to date on how things progress with them over the years. Of the 30 - 50 H. lividus plants that I have growing, still in their original seed bed, all have remained evergreen throughout the winter... even from their first year as small seedlings! I have found a great gardening friend in Roy Herold over the years, through our local New England NARGS group, and he now just laughs and shakes his head when I tell him of each new species that I 'try' to grow from seed. ;o) As a matter of fact, when spring does arrive here in my zone 5b/4a garden the first thing that I do is to check to see if the Paeonia cambessedessii, that I grew from seed years ago, has survived another winter. So far so good. I just hope that I won't have to eat my words any time soon. The H. lividus really haven't received much of any winter sun, as where they are sited, the snow usually covers them fully and remains for a long time. H. argutifolius 'Janet Starnes' also does not receive winter sun... although it is sited in a true south facing section of the garden... just off my back deck, the snow is shoveled over top of it and, therefore, it is often covered by three feet or more of the white stuff. The three H. argutifolius that I have growing further out in the 'open' garden, get much sun and wind throughout the winter yet do have snow around their base (if we have a 'mild' winter they may have 4"-6" or so, when we have a 'true New England' winter then they can be covered over completely by the white stuff) I plan on moving a 'drift' of the H. lividus out into the open garden this spring, well drained soil of course, and will continue to record how they perform. I must say, though, that a mature green house grown H. lividus plant given to me by Roy Herold, did survive out in the open garden as well. I had thought that I had lost it as it did not show its head in the spring, all of a sudden... there it was!...it didn't show its pretty foliage until summer last year. :o) Bruce, Yes, one of my cats is sometimes too excited about watching the chickens and just can't resist making them all scatter and fly up into the trees squawking.. the others just ignore them. And, oh you are so right about the barnyard 'king of the roost' who doesn't put up with much guff from anyone or anything. And, by the way, I would love the opportunity to give a fellow 'Moo-Hampshirite' a try at growing H. lividus in their garden... sounds like a trade coming up. ;o)

I don't know if you'll be interested in this, but I'm trading off all my generic (read: lost the labels) hosta. I have some nice variegated ones (green/white) and several medium, upright, avocado colored variations. I'd be very interetsed in the hellebore seedlings, because hosta and hellebore are the only things that seem to survive under aggressive maples with roots that kill everything. I understand if you're not interested, but if you would, please just let me know? Thanks, Christine

Was at my local nursery earlier today and they had a gold leafed version of this plant - Helleborus foetidus 'Gold Bullion' - in stock. I grew it for a while in my old garden and it does present a very cheery, bright chartreuse coloring that brightens up the dark winter days. However, unless in a fair amount of shade, tends to look anemic and sickly in summer like many yellow leaved plants do. I much prefer the selection 'Wester Flisk', as it offers more of contrast between the foliage and flowers and has dark red stems and apple green flowers with a slight red rim along the edge.