Hellebores, known for their elegant flowers, offer a burst of color to your garden during the colder months. These winter-blooming plants, especially the Lenten roses, are a favorite among gardeners for their early-season blooms and delicate, cup-shaped flowers. With the rise of hybridization, breeders have introduced even more striking hellebore varieties, offering a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes. Here are 19 of the most beautiful hellebores to consider for adding cold-season vibrancy to your landscape.
1. Amber Gem
The Amber Gem is a standout variety from the Winter Jewels series, featuring large, double flowers with an enchanting apricot hue. Its romantic tone, accented with red highlights, makes it a stunning choice for your garden. This plant typically grows to about 12 inches tall.
2. Black Diamond
A member of the Winter Jewels series, Black Diamond has deep purple (almost black) petals that provide a striking contrast to other flowers in the garden. This hellebore variety grows to about 15–18 inches, bringing a moody and sophisticated beauty to your space.
3. Confetti Cake
Part of the Wedding Party series, Confetti Cake boasts frothy white, double flowers adorned with burgundy speckles, resembling confetti. It reaches a height of about 2 feet, perfect for brightening up any flower bed.
4. Cotton Candy
With its large, double flowers, Cotton Candy offers a delightful mix of pink speckled blooms against bright green foliage. This variety, like others in the Winter Jewels series, brings a touch of sweetness to your garden and grows to about 18 inches tall.
5. Fluffy Ruffles
Fluffy Ruffles is a mix of hellebore varieties known for their large, double flowers in a wide range of colors, including pink, purple, yellow, white, and green. This plant grows to 18–22 inches tall and is an excellent choice for gardeners who love variety.
6. Golden Lotus
Another gem from the Winter Jewels series, Golden Lotus features double flowers with an abundance of yellow petals that can reach up to 3 inches wide. Growing to about 12–15 inches, it brings a cheerful pop of color to the garden.
7. Ice Follies
As a mega-bloomer, Ice Follies produces up to 100 flowers on each plant. The blooms transition from cream to light yellow with attractive red spots and veins. This variety reaches up to 14 inches in height and is part of the Winter Thriller series.
8. Ice n’ Roses
A cross between a Lenten rose and a snow rose, Ice n’ Roses features flowers that face upward, unlike most hellebores. Available in pink, red, and white, it shines in winter landscapes for weeks, with plants growing to 1–2 feet tall and wide.
9. Kingston Cardinal
With its mauve color and frilly double flowers, Kingston Cardinal offers a sophisticated look. Its dark-green, toothed leaves complement its vibrant blooms, and it reaches about 2 feet tall, making it a beautiful addition to any garden.
10. Mango Magic
A unique variety from the Winter Thriller series, Mango Magic blooms in shades that transition from mango yellow to apricot orange, adorned with pink speckles and veining. This variety grows up to 18 inches tall.
11. New York Night
New York Night features dark purple-gray to midnight petals with cream-colored stamens that stand out. Part of the Honeymoon series, this variety reaches 18–24 inches tall, adding drama and elegance to your garden.
12. Night Coaster
Part of the Winter Thriller series, Night Coaster boasts matte petals that mature from dark purple to black. These flowers can grow as large as 3 inches, and the plant reaches up to 22 inches tall, adding an exotic touch to your garden.
13. Peppermint Ruffles
With magenta and white flowers that resemble a painter’s masterpiece, Peppermint Ruffles from the Winter Thrillers series produces an impressive number of blooms. The plant grows to 12–24 inches tall, making it a perfect focal point in any garden.
14. Pink Fizz
Intricate pink veining, speckles, and edges make each flower of Pink Fizz a unique masterpiece. As part of the Winter Thrillers series, this variety produces blooms up to 3 inches wide, adding depth and color to your cold-season garden.
15. Pink Frost
From the Gold Collection, Pink Frost features striking rosy petals that face upward, complemented by silvery foliage and red stems. This eye-catching variety grows to 12–24 inches tall, making it perfect for adding texture and color.
16. Sweetheart Ruffles
Sweetheart Ruffles features especially frilly, double flowers in velvety shades of red and purple. This prolific bloomer can produce up to 50 flowers per plant, growing to 18–20 inches tall and brightening up any garden.
17. Rio Carnival
With festive burgundy speckles decorating pale yellow petals, Rio Carnival from the Honeymoon series is a robust hellebore variety. It reaches 18–24 inches in height, making it a stunning and hardy addition to your garden.
18. Shotgun Wedding
Shotgun Wedding, a variety from the Wedding Party series, has burgundy speckles on its nodding double flowers. This plant grows to 18–24 inches tall and is perfect for creating a romantic, colorful garden display.
19. Sunshine Ruffles
Finally, Sunshine Ruffles from the Winter Thrillers series features cheerful yellow petals with pink edges, making it an ideal choice for bringing a burst of sunshine to your garden at the end of winter. The plant grows 18–22 inches tall, offering a bright and cheerful addition to your cold-season landscape.
Hellebores are an excellent way to add color and charm to your garden, especially during the colder months when many plants are dormant. With so many stunning varieties available, each offering unique colors and patterns, there’s a hellebore for every garden style. Whether you prefer dramatic dark blooms, soft pastel tones, or vibrant speckles, these versatile flowers can be the perfect addition to your winter and spring garden.
