How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Helleborus Foetidus

Helleborus foetidus is a flowering plant that will make a beautiful addition to your landscape. It can be grown in large containers, but does best in a dedicated, permanent outdoor garden bed. The dark green, palmate leaves with a bluish tint create a showy and striking contrast against its bell-shaped, greenish-white flowers.

This plant is popular among gardeners. Unlike most other perennial plants, it’s evergreen through the winter. And it can handle cold climates like a champ, making it a perfect pick for northern climates. Even better, once established, it’s ideal in xeriscaping.

One of its common names sounds quite comical. Who wants something called stinking hellebore in their garden? Luckily, they don’t actually stink, despite their common name. If crushed or bruised, their leaves have an earthy aroma.

So don’t be deterred. You’ll love the ambiance your plant brings!

Plant Overview

Plant Type Evergreen perennial Family Ranunculaceae Genus Helleborus	Species Helleborus foetidus Exposure Partial shade to full shade Height 1-2′	Watering Requirements Low to moderate Maintenance Low Soil Type Rich, alkaline, well-draining

What is Stinking Hellebore?

The plant is known by multiple common names. While stinking hellebore is the best known, it’s also known as bear’s foot or setterwort. It’s native to Greece, Asia Minor, and the central and southern parts of Europe.

In the wild, it generally grows in scrub forests. This provides it with a shady environment where it performs best.

Helleborus foetidus produces narrow, glossy leaves on thick succulent stems. The leaves are deeply carved and may resemble the leaves of palms or ferns. Some have lightly toothed edges.

Its flowers open in late winter. The bloom time lasts until March, sometimes even April. Its flowers are pale green in color and have five petal-like sepals, resembling little bells. While their color isn’t showy, it still stands out in the garden.

Planting

Be careful when planting Helleborus foetidus. This plant develops a deep root system which greatly improves the plant’s winter hardiness and drought tolerance. However, it also makes them difficult to transplant.

If possible, only plant young plants that haven’t had time to develop those roots yet. Older plants should be placed in a permanent location. Replant hellebores at the same depth as they were in their original pot.

How to Grow

Your bear’s foot plant is rather hardy, and one of the first flowers you’ll see from winter into spring. But for the best growth, here’s a list of the perfect conditions to keep your plant in.

Light

Partial to full shade is best for Helleborus foetidus. These shade-lovers tend to suffer in full, direct sunlight. Avoid planting in areas with direct afternoon sun, particularly in regions with harsh summers.

Water

Once established, Helleborus foetidus is drought-resistant. While it’s young, keep the soil damp but not soggy. Don’t go overboard, as the plant simply doesn’t need a ton of water. In the summer months when your soil dries out quickly, consider supplementing the water if needed.

Soil

The ideal soil is humusy and organically rich. It should also drain off excess moisture well. I prefer a loamy soil base for this plant, but slightly sandy ones can work.

While it will tolerate neutral conditions, opt for a slightly alkaline pH when possible. Amend highly acidic soils with horticultural lime if needed to increase the alkalinity. A shady rock garden is the perfect setting for this plant.

Temperature & Humidity

These plants are hardy against freezing conditions, even surviving temperatures of -10°F (-23°C). If you live in snowy areas, this will often be one of the few plants you’ll see with winter vigor. Its hardiness zone range is 5-9.

Fertilizing

You don’t need fertilizer if your soil’s rich. If you do fertilize, opt for a slightly calciferous fertilizer. Fertilize in the spring through summer with light sprinkle of a granular, slow-release fertilizer.

Maintenance

Hellebore pruning is mostly cosmetic. In the late spring when flowers are fading, prune back the spent flower stems. If you want to prevent self-seeding, do so before the seeds mature and start to fall.

By April, the seeds will usually have self-sown. Otherwise, use pruning shears to cut away any dead or diseased foliage as needed.

All parts of the plant can be poisonous. Wear work gloves while pruning. Wash them between handling this plant.

Propagation

Helleborus foetidus often propagates itself by self-seeding in the garden. As blooming ends, this plant forms seeds in its flower heads. If you don’t want it to self-sow, cut off the heads before seeds mature in the late spring.

Divide the plant in late fall before it flowers or sprouts new leaves. Division is somewhat risky to the root system, so be careful. Remove the plant and all of its roots from the soil, then wash off the roots to expose them all.

The roots are interconnected by growth buds. Using a sharp, clean knife, sever between clusters of three to four buds to divide it up.

Common Problems

There are few problems you’ll encounter in your hellebore garden, but these are the few to watch for.

Pests

Aphids are a constant issue in the garden, and your setterwort is no different in that regard. If you do encounter aphids, follow this guide to tackle them.

Slugs and snails may also nibble on your plants. Use a good organic snail and slug bait to kill these off. Or use beer traps.

Diseases

Helleborus net necrosis virus, sometimes called hellebore black death, causes black streaks to appear on foliage. Plants will be stunted and deformed. There is no cure for this plant virus, and plants should be completely removed and destroyed.

Other than that, some black spot on leaves may occur, but is easily treated through pruning. A copper fungicide is a useful preventative in areas where you know you’ll be dealing with black spot. However, it’s not necessary, and often pruning is enough.

Frequently Asked Questions