Plantify trial update 4 - Helleborus x hybridus 'Red Lady'

Its been eleven months since I took delivery of Helleborus x hybridus 'Red Lady' as part of a trial I was asked to undertake by Plantify.co.uk. I have recently written about waiting for hellebore seedlings to flower, but this time I was waiting for a mature plant to flower.  I knew when I received it that as it was not at that point in bud it would be a year before I could hope to see any results from it, so in terms of a trial it was definitely waiting the long game.
It did what a hellebore does for most the year, which is sit around not looking very exciting.  It also did what hellebores do all year, which is when I am weeding around them, it brought me out in hives as it appears that I am allergic to them.  I am not allergic to much, I would have said I was not allergic to any particular plant, but experience has taught me that weeding around hellebores is painful.

Anyway, this winter the excitement happened, the hellebore started to produce buds.  Now I really like this hellebore, the leaves are a fantastic dark purple around where the flower is forming.  It is a wonderful colour.
The flower itself is no less wonderful, such a great dark red.  I am very pleased with it, it was worth the wait.

Comments

  1. That is a nice colour - such a worthwhile plant to have in the garden at this time of year.

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  2. lovely post and thanks for sharing

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  3. What size plant was it? It would be good to have some idea about whether one can expect a plant bought e.g. late spring after flowering couilkd be expected to flower the next spring. I've eyed 'Red Lady' and thought it looked rather good, your photos suggest its even better!

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    Replies
    1. It came in a two litre pot, its about 12 ins high give or take. Not as big as some of the older hellebores I have but I think it will mature well.

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