Leave the buds alone. If you cut them off all you will do is lose flowers. The plant has already set its buds for this year and won't replace the ones you remove before the Spring. Mine are in bud too.

I agree with floral. It may be early compared to other years - a factor of the mild weather - but there is really nothing you can do about it. The plants will bloom according to their internal biological clock, not necessarily according to a calendar schedule :-)) Just enjoy the blooms you get when you get them! The good news is the flowers on that particular hybrid will appear over an extended period of time and remain looking good even longer. Provided your winter doesn't get too similar to last year, your plants could still be in flower in February and March.

FWIW, mine routinely bloom at this time of year. In fact, I just noticed my xhybridus with fat white buds showing........and those tend to be the latest of my hellebores to bloom, usually in February.

btw, this is the notation Fine Gardening attaches to this plant: " A very early bloomer, even compared to other hellebores."

My hellebores have flowers today - zone 6a, CT shoreline. Stone crop is also through ground. Very strange.

My Helleborus 'apple blossom' started blooming at the end of Dec. (seattle)

Hellebores in the mild winter Puget Sound area routinely start blooming as early as December. Sometimes even earlier, depending on species. They are true winter flowering plants.

Where is a good source for Hellebore? I live in Maryland, USA

I believe your closest solution is Pine Knot.

dbarron....yes thank you. I checked them out and you are right.