Planting perennial Helleborus is usually done in spring, although if the ground is workable and not too wet from rain, and if you have a hardy type, it would be okay to plant out in late winter They prefer some shade to part sun condition to grow well.

They like well-drained soil, but moisture-retentive, neutral or alkaline, and humus-rich. Do not plant too deeply as this may impair flowering. Plant just below the surface, with growing tips just at the surface. Manure or compost in early winter but keep it off the crown. Top-dress the area around the crown with limestone chips to make soil less acid; if that is a problem. Of course, soil testing is always best when making a new garden. Your county's  Cooperative Extension Service Office can give you information on having your soil tested in a reliable lab.

Let hellebores that flower off the previous year’s leaf stem (H. argutifolius, H. foetidus) flower (and set seed) before cutting their stems to the ground. New shoots will have emerge from the crown, and new stem will grow and fill out during the summer and flower the following year. Cut back the leaf stems of H. orientalis as the new flower stems reach three to four inches to enhance flowering. This also reduces disease on old leaves; cut the leaf stems close to the crown. Remove old and damaged leaves as necessary. And in winter, just before the buds open, cut off all the old leaves. When flower stems die back after seeding, they can be cut back to the ground; this too helps to prevent and control fungal diseases.

All parts are poisonous.

Read more about hellebore care in our Hellebore Guide.

Courtesy of the NYBG Plant Information Service