Helleborus

Think of being stuck on a long plane ride, next to a guy who talks non-stop, mostly about himself. And he's not that interesting; you just want to go to sleep and he keeps talking...

The word that comes to mind for this person, in this situation is "Helleborus." It's a real word, but of course it is the name of a genus of flowering plants native to Europe, the Ukraine, and Turkey. The greatest concentration of native Hellebores is in the Balkans. It's a hardy evergreen and yes it grows well here in western Oregon. In fact it is starting to bloom now (2-20-2014).

My mother Jackie was an avid gardener and hardly a day went by where she was not out in the dirt, pulling weeds or planting something. When she and her husband Bruce retired in Medford in 1992, they bought an older home with a large yard for gardening. The yard's many species included several varieties of Hellebores. We were not familiar with these winter-blooming plants, so at some point she dug up some of the plants and we brought them back to our place and planted them. She passed away in 1998, but the transplants are going strong in a shaded cluster on the north side of our house.

Some of the common names of the 20 or so species in this genus are Christmas Rose and Lenten Rose, due to the time they usually bloom. They are not related to the Rose family at all, but no matter in the fickle world of common names. I believe the ones in our yard are Lenten Roses (Helleborus orientalis), but this year they seem to be very early.

Most Hellebores are highly toxic but nevertheless were used (centuries ago) as treatments for a wide range of ailments including leprosy! Interesting Hellebore legends from Wikipedia:

• Helleborus niger is commonly called the Christmas rose, due to an old legend that it sprouted in the snow from the tears of a young girl who had no gift to give the Christ child in Bethlehem.
• In Greek mythology, Melampus of Pylos used hellebore to save the daughters of the king of Argos from a madness, induced by Dionysus, that caused them to run naked through the city, crying, weeping, and screaming.
• During the Siege of Kirrha in 585 BC, hellebore was reportedly used by the Greek besiegers to poison the city's water supply. The defenders were subsequently so weakened by diarrhea that they were unable to defend the city from assault.
• An overdose of medication containing hellebore has been suggested as a possible cause of the death of Alexander the Great.

Although somewhat similar in appearance, this plant is not related to False Hellebore, which is a wildflower we found blooming near Lookout Mountain last summer. The flowers are about 1.5 inch wide and have five sepals rather than petals. The sepals, which retain the flower's nectar, remain on the plants for months, thereby helping with more successful seed production. The leaves are large, about 6 inches long, and dark green. Clusters of buds appear as the plant begins to flower. Many hybrid strains are available from garden shops, and there are many internet sources for these hardy evergreens.

At Jenkins Estate - 2/21/2014