I know that this is a longshot but I have a surplus of hellebore orientalis one and two yr old seedlings I could send a dozen or more in a mix of colors(white pure or speckled, pink, purple(red)even a possibility of a double or a blue, I don't know what the seedlings might turn out to be). I am hoping to trade for some tree peony seedlings ideally from someone who might have more than one color but I would be happy to have one. Pay little attention to my tradelist as I have not traded much in the past two years. I have just offered all my seeds for postaage and hope to update my plant tradelist later this year when I finally get everything that has lived in pots for three years into the ground.

Another thought, as your pots seem to have some depth to allow for root growth... Hellebore seedlings roots tend to grow down/in length before they become wide. You could leave them in the pots in which they are now growing to allow for least amount of space under your lights...I think those pots should accommodate them for a few more weeks. I normally sow upwards of 20-25 seeds in square 4x5" deep pots. Those seedlings germinating outdoors for me here in March are plenty comfortable in those pots until early June or so when I seem to do the potting up to individual pots. They will have more than one set of true leaves at that age, roots are often the entire depth of 5" but not hopelessly intertwined. I think I'm more cautious about exposing the young plants to possible freezing weather while still containerized - I lost a half dozen that I hadn't expected to suffer damage to a cold snap in early December. No issues to those in the ground, but the containerized 1 yr olds are gone.

Everyone is different, but I have greater success/survival rates when I wait until fall. I have read that you are not to touch the stem of the new seedlings...tough when they are so small. At this time I have so many plants that I rip out the seedlings that are too close to the parent plants and allow the ones further away to get older before I dig them up.

The pic isn't too clear but it might be a bloodroot. They both grow in the shade. It has a thick orangy rhizhome and looks like a cut off finger when it's broken! Ugh! Other than that it would get white flowers in the spring and is considered a spring ephemeral but mine last most of the summer and into the fall sometimes. The plant not the flower! Try looking it up on Hortiplex for a better look.