GGG & wildflower For some reason your posts weren't visible when I loaded this thread. Guess all of the bugs aren't cleared yet! Helleborus' are marketed as shade perennials and in fact do very well in that environment, but in their native habitats, almost all are found in sunny locations. They do well for me in full(high) shade under deciduous & coniferous trees, as well as in morning, noonday or afternoon sun. They will not bloom well under low growimg evergreen shrubs and trees, such as the Southern Magnolia and Camellias. The one's with variegation in the leaves will require more sunlight, as do all variegated plants, to maintain a more vibrant foliage color. The silver/white mottling found in the leaves of the hybrid species(x sternii, x ericsmithii, x ballardiae and their subsequent cultivars) is derived from one of the parents, H. lividus, a semi-hardy(for us) species from the Mediterranian Region of Southern Europe, principally Spain. Moisture requirements for Helleborus are meager, once established, and they do not survive very long in damp or constantly moist soils, Even in full sun, an established plant will survive for long periods without moisture. It may wilt during sunny days(conserving moisture), but springs back during cloudy days and at night. A truly low maintenance plant that is also avoided by animals and pests(Deer,voles and flying and crawling insects) because of the presence of poisonous alkaloids in all parts of the plant. There is, however, documantion that discusses it's uses as a remedy for some human ailments and also, as a poison to eliminate one's ememies or political opponents! I can't have vegetables with a high concentration of Vitamin K, so I'm fairly safe? Rb

Here's another color blossom from the seeds I was given by a generous forum member. I have a total of 4 plants, all doing well. Thanks to my benefactor, you know who you are! Mary Image link:

The variegated one is possibly 'Pacific coast'. I'm just back from skiing in the Pyrenees, and saw hundreds of H. foetidus in the wild, many growing in rock and scree that you wouldn't believe would support anything, lots with the purplish collar round the flower. Growing at the snowline and below down into the villages along the roadsides. Brilliant. Cheers Greenmanplants

G'day Jake, Every year we get a few variegated seedlings from our breeding programme. I have found that we can predict the occurence of variegation if I use a strain from a European source as pollen parents. We generally consider them to be the product of a virus infection and immediately remove and destroy them. I have ceased to use the strain that produced them for this reason. Many of our Japanese cutomers are aghast at this practice because they value such variegations highly, however I feel thaty I'd be remiss in my duty if I allowed them to sneal through the system and be sold or to sell seeds from the infected plants. Regards John