280 
and so they stand still. Mr. T. D. Hatfield 
has grown these Lenten roses — all forms 
of the one species, orientalis — at Wellesley, 
Mass., from seed, and finds that they hybrid- 
ize freely and produce a great variety of 
intermediate forms. They have been also 
grown to some extent in New Jersey, and 
the photographs presented herewith were 
made from plants growing in Rochester, 
N. Y.; yet these Lenten roses are only 
successful during winters that are distinctly 
English in character—that is, warm and wet. 
Probably, as Mr. Orpet has suggested, 
conditions may be sufficiently controlled in 
a majority of seasons by growing plants in 
a coldframe, but only enthusiastic admirers 
of hellebores will go to that trouble. The 
great range of color shown in the flowers of 
orientalis is remarkable, varying from pure 
white and white spotted with green and 
brown to coppery purple and even pale 
green in the variety Caucasicus. This last 
is curious rather than beautiful. 
The best white-flowered variety is Olym- 
oe 
Var. guttatus, white with purple spots 
FIVE FORMS OF THE LENTEN ROSE FLOWERING IN APRIL 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
Probably Helleborus niger, var. altifolius, at Albany, 
N. Y., in full flower on November 5th, after every- 
thing else was past 
picus, which of course need never be con- 
fused with the Christmas rose, as they flower 
at entirely differentseasons. H.Olympicus 
never blooms in winter. Guttatus is the 
best spotted form, white and crimson. Of 
the purple and reddish flowered kinds, the 
European catalogues offer a whole host of 
named varieties, none of which seem to have 
been especially offered in this country. 
Might it not be worth while trying in the 
milder parts of New England, or where the 
winter mantle of snow is assured, because 
with that comes necessary warmth and 
moisture? One of the great fascinations of 
gardening is that the unexpected is always 
happening, and every once in a while a 
plant that “cannot be grown” crops up 
serenely and upsets all generalizations. 
So therefore I shall not be surprised at 
Var. Gretchen Heinemann, red, strong grower 
JANUARY, 1909 
all to learn, after this is published, that 
these Lenten roses are flourishing quietly in 
some odd corner of some readers’ gardens. 
And I am sure I hope so. 
The only other species is the green- 
flowered Hl. viridis, but it cannot be con- 
fused with the other green-flowered member 
of the family just described because its leaves 
die annually, It bears five or six flowers 
to a cluster, yellowish green, and the whole 
plant is less than a foot high. This plant, 
the least beautiful and the smallest flowered, 
is quite easy to grow and has even become 
naturalized in the Eastern States and South 
to Virginia, but has never been really 
appreciated as a garden flower, except as 
a reminder of the greater beauties of the 
true Lenten roses, which flower earlier; 
this one appears in May. 
These flowers are quite interesting to 
the student because the sepals are the showy 
colored parts, the petals, being reduced to 
a series of small green tubes surrounding 
the stamens, are easily overlooked. 
Var. Olympicus, the white spring form 
Var. atrorubens, dark purple. Approaches H. viridis 
