HELLEBORUS OR CHRISTMAS AND LENTEN ROSES. 
33 
HELLEBORUS OR CHRISTMAS AND LENTEN ROSES. 
In English gardens hardy plants are now fostered in permanent flower borders, and amongst them an 
honourable place is given to the decorative varieties of the Christmas and Lenten Roses, as the representatives of 
Winter flowers. There is much variety in the family, and much confusion in the nomenclature. Mr. Baker, ever 
ready to assist the horticulturist, prepared an admirable monograph of this genus, which appeared in The Gar- 
deners Chronicle , 1877. The monograph we epitomise thus, referring the student to the original for fuller details. 
The genus Helleborus has six representative species or heads of families, viz. : — H. vesicarius, of Mount 
Cassius, near Antioch, a plant not yet introduced into cultivation ; H. festidus and H. lividus , both handsome 
ornamental foliage plants ; H. niger, the much prized Christmas Rose, and its geographical or garden varieties, 
minor, major , intermedins , and maximus or alttfolius ; H. viridis and //. orient alis, which we have named the 
Lenten Roses, although some of the varieties are in flower at the same time as the Christmas Rose, but it is during 
Lent that they are decorative; both H, viridis and II . orientalis have many geographical varieties. The Viridis sec- 
tion is distinguished by its deciduous foliage which dies down in Autumn and reappears early in Spring, associated 
with flowers ranging from green to dove-purple. Three of these are illustrated in the coloured plate which accom- 
panied The Garden of 19th July, 1879. 1 ° Mr. Baker’s paper the recognized geographical varieties of the 
type Viridis are Dumetorum , Laxus, Bocconi , Cyclophyllus, Graveolens , Intermedins, Cupreus , Purpurascens, 
and a charming dove-purple coloured species, Torquatus . In the spring of 1881, Mr. Barr, with the assistance 
of his friend Mr. De Graaff, of Leiden, made a careful study of our collection of the Viridis group, and found 
no less than forty-four varieties, which had distinct leaf characters. The Orientalis group has the leaves coria- 
ceous and persistent, with a polished green surface, and the segments generally conspicuously toothed ; the 
flowers are usually large, the sepals frequently imbricated and assuming a bell shaped form, surmounted on stems 
two or three times forked, thus forming a showy branched panicle of flowers, which range in colour from the 
richest crimson to while ; six of these are illustrated in the coloured plate which accompanied The Garden of 
19th July, 1879. The geographical varieties of the type Orientalis are Antiquorum, Guttatus , Olympicus, 
Pallidus , Caucasicus, Odorus , Atrorubens, Colchicus, and Abchasicus. 
From these Orientalis varieties have originated some beautiful sorts, both in England and on the continent. 
Our friends on the continent appear to have made their crosses systematically, and have secured excellent results ; 
while the new kinds which have been raised in England are apparently the result of accidental seeding. The 
late Mr. Sauer, of the Berlin Botanic Gardens, made the most successful crosses of which there is any record, 
and the results have been fully described by Professor Koch. Mr. Frank Miles and other English amateurs who 
are engaged in hybridizing the Helleborus, would do wisely to acquaint themselves with what Mr. Sauer did in 
this way. 
The garden varieties of the Orientalis section of Lenten Roses which we have catalogued are important 
additions, and will be found attractive and highly decorative in the flower garden, or cultivated in pots for green- 
house decoration. The varieties figured in the coloured plate of The Garden, 19th July, 1879. may be taken as 
a sample of the Helleborus we have described in the catalogue. A supply of these coloured plates, with nine 
representative varieties of the spring-flowering Lenten Roses, have been secured, and any of our customers who 
have not seen the plate, and who intend purchasing these plants, can have it forwarded, free of cost, on applica- 
tion ; otherwise the plates can be had, 6d. each. 
Mr. Moore, Curator of the Chelsea Botanic Gardens, has been studying the Helleborus family in conjunction 
with Mr. Barr during the past few seasons, and has issued with The Florist and Pomologist, a coloured 
plate of new varieties, which we trust will be followed shortly by a popular monograph, from living specimens, 
which will more accurately define and describe the species than has hitherto been attempted. In The Gardeners' 
Chronicle of 1879, Mr. Moore gave descriptions of thirty-five species and varieties of Helleborus then in flower 
at our grounds, and in April, 1881, contributed to The Gardeners' Chronicle, a paper on New Helleborus. In 
The Garden, 1878, there is a monograph, accompanied by a plate of Helleborus maximus. It will, therefore, be 
seen that this family has received considerable attention from the Horticultural press. In Germany the Botanists 
have been working upon the Helleborus family for many years. 
The Christmas and Lenten Roses are excellent pot plants, and well worth the attention of gardeners ; 
specimen plants are very floriferous. 
. _ ». d. 8. d. 
1435 25 Lenten Roses in 25 vars. ...35/, 50/ & 63 o 
1436 5 Christmas Roses in 5 vars., 7/6, 10/6 & 15 o 
1437 10 „ „ in s vars., 15/, 21/ & 30 o 
o Lenten Roses m 6 vars. ...10/6, 15/ & 21 
1433 12 „ „ in 12 vars. ...15/, 21/ & 30 
1434 18 „ „ in 18 vars. ...25/, 30/ & 42 
THE CHRISTMAS ROSE (HELLEBORUS NIGER). 
In the gardening papers there has been a good deal of discussion relating to the varieties of the Christmas 
Rose, and that it might not be altogether barren, we have made two specimen beds, in which are “ St. Bridgid's ” 
and Mr. Brockbank's Christmas Roses, with every variety we could meet with, so that those who are interested 
in this plant will be afforded every opportunity to study them. each—*, a. 
1438 Niger ( the Christmas Rose), in flower during December and January. To have the blossoms 
pure white for Christmas decoration, the plants should be protected at the time of flowering, 
and this may be done in a variety of ways. A hand-light, resting on bricks, will be 
sufficient for a large specimen ; but when a great number of flowers are required, a temporary 
pit should be made, the natural soil, if unsuitable, removed , and a mixture of loam and 
rotten dung, or loam, leaf soil and dung put in; we have found loam, dung, and peat ex- 
cellent in these pits. When the flower buds appear, protect with lights, giving plenty of 
air, but dispense with the lights as soon as possible. For naturalization and wild garden s, 
the Christmas Rose is a grand 'plant, per doz. (according to size of plant). 5/6, 7/6, 10/6, 
15/. 21/, & 25/ each, 6 d., qd., 1/, 1/6, 2/6, & 3 6 
1439 ,, maximus (the Great Christmas Rose), fgured in “ The Garden," 1878, under the name 
Helleborus allifohus. This is a grand species, and is as remarkable for its targe dark green 
leaves, as for its very large rose-tinted flowers , which can be made pure white by glass protec- 
tion, after the flower buds oppeir each 1/6, 2/6 & 3 6 
1440 ,, major {the large Christmas Rose), this is somewhat larger in flower than the type, each 1/, 1/6 & 2 6 
1441 ,, minor [the small Christmas Rose), a very distinct and very fine variety each 1/, 1/6 & 2 6 
1442 ,, scoticus ( Miss Hope's Christmas Rose) , the origin of this wonderfully finevariety is at present 
unknown. The late Miss Hope , of Wardie, found it at Aberdeen, and first called attention 
to its distinctness and value, under the name " Intermedius ; " but, as there is a species called 
,l Intermedins,” we have ventured to Catalogue the plant H. Niger scoticus, flowers pure 
white, larger and more erect than any of the foregoing each 1/6, 2/6 & 3 6 
King Street, Covent Garden, 1883.] 
