Helleborus Angel Glow

Description

Helleborus ‘Angel Glow’ – hellebore

Botanical name: Helleborus x ballardiae ‘Angel Glow’
Common names: Hellebore, Lenten rose
Family: Ranunculaceae
Plant type: Evergreen perennial
Habit: Clump-forming, mound-forming
Pot size: 2–3 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 30–40cm tall × 45cm spread
Foliage: Handsome, leathery, dark green leaves with attractive pale veining and silvery marbling; evergreen
Flowers: Outward-facing saucer flowers opening creamy-white flushed pink, ageing to deeper rose and green, over a long winter and spring season (January–April)
Scent: Not notably scented
Aspect / light: Partial shade; tolerates some winter sun
Soil: Moist but well-drained, fertile, humus-rich; dislikes waterlogging; prefers neutral to alkaline; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy, to about −20°C); USDA zones 5–8
Exposure: Sheltered
Native range: Garden hybrid; the parent species are native to Europe
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Toxic — all parts are harmful if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin; keep away from children and pets, and wear gloves when handling

Helleborus ‘Angel Glow’ is a beautiful hellebore with outward-facing flowers opening creamy-white flushed pink and ageing to rose, over marbled evergreen foliage, through winter and spring.

GardenAdvice notes

One of the loveliest of the modern hellebores, ‘Angel Glow’ carries its saucer-shaped flowers outward-facing rather than nodding, so you can actually see into them — they open creamy-white flushed with pink and age through deepening rose to soft green, giving weeks of shifting colour from the depths of winter into spring. The handsome evergreen foliage, veined and silvery-marbled, looks good all year. A treasure for a shady border, and invaluable when the garden has little else.

Growing & planting

Plant in autumn or spring in moist but well-drained, fertile, humus-rich soil in partial shade — it dislikes waterlogging and deep dry shade. Work in plenty of leaf mould or compost. It is happiest with cool roots and light overhead shade, such as beneath deciduous shrubs. Space about 45cm apart. Mulch annually.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. Remove any damaged or tatty leaves in late winter, before the flowers open, both to show off the blooms and to reduce the spread of hellebore leaf spot — but this form has handsome evergreen foliage, so remove only what is spoiled rather than cutting it all away. Mulch with leaf mould in autumn. It resents disturbance, so avoid moving it once settled. Wear gloves when handling.

Propagation

• Division: Can be divided carefully in early autumn, though hellebores resent disturbance and are best left undisturbed.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free in a suitable spot. Hellebore leaf spot (dark blotches on leaves) is the main problem — remove and destroy affected leaves. Aphids can occasionally cluster on the flower stems. Vine weevil may occur in pots.

Uses in the garden

Superb in shady and woodland borders, beneath deciduous shrubs and trees, at the front of a partly shaded bed and in containers near a path or door, where its outward-facing winter flowers and evergreen marbled foliage can be enjoyed close to.

Wildlife value

Hellebores are valuable for wildlife: their winter and early-spring flowers are one of the few nectar sources available to bees and other pollinators on mild days, when almost nothing else is in bloom.

Toxicity & safety

Hellebore is toxic — all parts are harmful if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin. Keep it away from children and pets, site it accordingly, and wear gloves when handling or cutting it.

GardenAdvice tip

‘Angel Glow’ has the great virtue of holding its flowers outward-facing, so you don’t have to kneel down and tip them up to enjoy them — plant it beside a path or door where you’ll see it through the winter. The flowers change colour as they age, giving weeks of interest. Tidy off any spoiled leaves in late winter to show off the blooms and check leaf spot, and do wear gloves, as all parts are poisonous.

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