[PLANT PROFILE] HELLEBORE

HELLEBORES

LENTEN ROSE

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On a walk through Coastal Maine Botanical Garden last year at the beginning of May, one of the many surprises I stumbled upon were the enormous array of Hellebores dappled throughout the shade gardens. I was mesmerized by their range of colors from deep red to shades of pink and white. In the shade of the Giles Rhododendron and Perennial Garden, swaths of Hellebores were groundcover for the Rhododendrons and Azaleas. I have always been in awe of Hellebore’s unique flower structure and evergreen foliage but witnessing it in these numbers was just glorious.

Hellebores awaken in mid April when they begin to put on a show with their abundant blooms. Their flowers last for several weeks and once the petals have faded, the sepals, which look like a flower, remain attractive for several months. The sturdy evergreen foliage is appealing well into the winter months. With all their different stages they are the plant that keeps on giving from spring to winter.

Hellebores are perfect in woodland gardens and in shady areas under deciduous trees.

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Helebore at Maine Coastal Botanical Garden

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GROWING CONDITIONS & CARE

• Easy to grow

• 12 x 24” H. Spreads over time

• Drought tolerant but thrives in slightly moist conditions

• Sensitive to poor drainage

• Cold hardy and tough

• Rabbit and deer resistant

• Perfect along shaded borders and woodland gardens

• Beautiful when planted under deciduous trees as a ground cover

• After a long winter, the large evergreen leaves look flattened and tattered. Remove the worst of these before the flower stalks begin to grow. Do not remove leaves prior to that or may harm plant.

Hellebore

Hellebore

Helleborus orientalis 'Pink Lady' Lenten Rose

Helleborus x hybridus

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HELLEBORES AVAILABLE AT VINEYARD GARDEN

• Hellebore Ice N' Roses® Bianco (Monrovia)

• Hellebore Ice N' Roses® Red (Monrovia)

• HelleboreIce N' Roses® Rosado (Monrovia)

• Helleborus x iburgensis Ice N' Roses® Merlot Hellebore (Monrovia)

• Hellebore Ice N' Roses® Rose (Monrovia)

• Helleborus Paris in Pink (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus Rio Carnival (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus Romantic Getaway (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus Maid of Honor (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus Wedding Bells (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus Spanish Flare (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus New York Night (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus Rome in Red (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus Snowbells (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus French Kiss (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus Sandy Shores (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus Ivory Prince (Walter’s Garden)

• Helleborus Irish Luck (Walter’s Garden)

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A hardy, deer resistant perennial with evergreen foliage, long-blooming flowers and multi seasonal interest!

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EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS FOR SHADE

EVERGREEN TREES &

SHRUBS FOR SHADE

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Broadleaf Evergreens are known to tolerate shade and many will also grow well in full sun. With their year round foliage they can add interest to your beds, woodland borders or create screening in a shady spot between you and your neighbor. Broadleaf evergreens can give you the privacy you need. They can also create fabulous backdrops to deciduous plants that flower. Plant them young and they will grow larger every year. We also carry several species of smaller broadleaf evergreen shrubs that can take shade. These work well in foundation plantings or in your shrub or perennial beds.

Deer resistant broadleaf evergreens we like to recommend are Pieris japonica, Mahonias and Osmanthus heterophyllus.

Pieris japonica illustration by karen blackerby logan

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Prunus schipkaensis (Skip Laurel)

EVERGREEN TREE & SHRUB VARIETIES

• Azaleas

• Leucothoe

• Osmanthus heterophyllus (False Holly) : Seldom severely damaged by deer. Looks like holly. We have found the species heterophyllus to be hardy, able to survive in dense shade and they are deer resistant. The flowers are fragrant! We carry a popular variegated variety called Goshiki.

• Pieris japonica (Andromedas): Blooms in spring with panicles of beautiful bells mostly in white. We do carry a pink blooming one. Can grow 6-8ft tall and 5-6ft wide. We carry dwarf ones as well. Deer resistant.

• Skimmia japonica: Needs a male and a female to be planted together for the female to berry up.

• Skimmia reevesiana: Rarely damaged by deer. Does not need a male to cross pollinate like Skimmia japonica.

• Prunus schipkaensis (Skip Laurels): They will easily get 6-8ft tall. Good for flowers and for screening.

• Photinia fraserii: At the margins of its hardiness zone. It has handsome evergreen foliage. The new growth is reddish and in cold weather the leaves turn reddish again. It can grow over 6ft tall and wide.

  Leucothoe, Skimmia and some Pieris japonica are examples of smaller broadleaf evergreen shrubs that can take shade.

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Camellia japonica

CAMELLIAS & AUCUBAS

Camellias and Aucubas should be planted near foundation plantings or by a stone wall for the heat they absorb during a sunny day. They may get some die back during a very cold winter. Prune the dead ones out in the spring. Camellias have shiny lovely evergreen foliage and flowers that look like Peonies. Aucubas need a male to berry up. Aucuba Mr. Goldstrike will pollinate Aucuba serratifolia, which is known for producing large red, berry like fruit.

• Aucuba japonica

  • serratifolia

  • Mr. Goldstrike

• Camellia April Pink

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Buxus Green Gem

BUXUS

(Rarely damaged by deer)

• Buxus Winter Green 

• Buxus Green Beauty 

• Buxus Variegata

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Rhododendron Catawba

RHODODENDRONS

Roseum Elegans & Catawba Rhododendron get over 10ft tall. Plant them young and they will grow larger each year. Great for flowers and for screening.

• Catawba Rhododendron (Native)

• Maximum Rhododendron (Native)

• PGM Rhododendron

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Mahonia Winter Sun

MAHONIA

(All Native) (Rarely damaged by deer)

Mahonias are also known as Oregon Grape Holly. They bear panicles of purple fruit after flowering that look like grapes.

• Mahonia repens 

• Mahonia Winter Sun

• Mahonia Charity 

• Mahonia Arthur Menzies

• Mahonia nervosa 

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Ilex crenata Steeds

HOLLIES

Hollies are always a good choice for shade. We carry American, English, Japanese Chinese and hybrid Hollies. Several of the Japanese Hollies (Ilex crenata) are smaller shrubs. Blue Hollies (Meserve Hybrids) are like shrub Hollies instead of tree Hollies and can be pruned and kept a bit shorter. The Hollies need a male to pollinate the female to get the berries. We also grow specialty Hollies from cuttings. Ask at the nursery about our collection.

• Meserve Hybrids (Blue Hollies)

• Ilex Dragon Slayer

• Ilex mes Blue Maid

• Ilex Robin

• Ilex x Greenleaf

• Ilex crenata

  • Ilex Steeds (Ocassionally severely damaged by deer)

  • Hoogendorn

  • Soft Touch

  • Sky Pencil

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Pieris japonica

Pieris japonica

Ilex Dragon Slayer

Ilex Robin

Azalea 'PJM'

Rhodendron screening

Winter Sun Mahonia

Buxus

Skip Cherry Laurel

Camellia

Camellia sasanqua

In general we do not recommend you plant conifers in shade. They may not die but they will grow long and leggy. Your much better off planting a Holly, Mahonia or Osmanthus (if you have deer).

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[PLANT PROFILE] FILIPENDULA

FILIPENDULA

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Filipendula is a native perennial to the northeast. It is a great foliage plant that is valued for both its leaves and its flowers. Most filipendulas grow in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.

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Filipendula ‘Kahome’ (front) & Filipendula ‘Queen of the Prarie’ (back)

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Filipendula Varieties

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Filipendula rubra Venusta Magnifica ‘Queen of the Prarie’

Astilbe-like, wide panicles of tiny, fragrant, pale pink flowers that bloom in early to mid summer.

USES:

Borders (rear), cottage gardens, native plant gardens, wild/naturalized areas, wet meadows or moist areas along streams or ponds.

• This is a large plant for large gardens.

• Can be spectacular, particularly when massed.

• Great for naturalizing in moist meadows.

  **A highlight of midsummer!**

Filipendula rubra

Filipendula rubra

Venusta Magnifica

‘Queen of the Prarie’

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* Grows up to 8’ tall

(usually shorter)

* Pale Pink blooms June-

Aug

* Full sun to part shade

* Medium to wet soil

* Native to moist soils but will

do well in average or dry

soils.

Filipendula rubra

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Filipendula ‘Kahome’ (Dwarf Meadowsweet)

An upright, clump-forming perennial that typically grows only 8-12” tall and features branched, terminal, Astilbe-like panicles of tiny, fragrant, rosy pink flowers in summer.

USES:

Border fronts, cottage gardens, wild/naturalized areas, wet meadows or moist areas along streams or ponds. Dwarf size facilitates massing this plant as a ground cover.

filipendula ‘Kahome’

Meadowsweet

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* 8-12” tall

* Blooms June to July

* Full sun to part shade

* Medium to wet soil

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Benefits

Attracts butterflies, pollinators and is deer resistant !

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JULY

GARDEN TIPS

PERENNIALS

FOR SHADE

[PLANT PROFILE] HOSTAS

30% OFF HOSTAS

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Hostas are a shade loving perennial with lavender or white blooms, which are popular among hummingbirds.  Hostas are late to emerge in spring and partner up well with early blooming spring bulbs that will be passing by the time the Hosta emerges. Crocus, Muscari, Eranthis or Chionodoxa foliage will easily get covered by the Hosta foliage, hiding the foliage of those early spring bulbs as they die back. There are a variety of Hostas available, differing in their leaf color, shape, size, and texture. They are easy to maintain and are shade tolerate.

Hosta leaves are very beautiful from early summer through fall!

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CARE

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* In spring when growth

emerges apply fertilizer

* Keep plant moist

* Place mulch around

plant to retain moisture

* Remove flower stalks

after bloom to

encourage new growth

* In the fall, when frost

turns the leaves brown,

cut back to the ground

and apply a little fresh

mulch or leaf mold over

the plant, like a blanket.

DIVIDING HOSTA

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* Divide late in the

season because the

leaves will get damaged

during the division

process.

* Do not plant too deep

after dividing. Same

level that it was before.

* Add the ‘blanket’

leaf mold or mulch

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Texture, Shape

& Size

Hostas add a lot of dimension to your shade garden through their various shades of green, leaf sizes, textures and shapes.

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**Deer do like to browse on Hosta foliage**
Spray with Bobbex deer repellent

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JULY

GARDEN TIPS

PERENNIALS

FOR SHADE

DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS FOR SHADE

DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS FOR SHADE

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Sorbaria sorbifolia (Tree Astilbe )

Clethra alnifolia

FOTHERGILLA
(Native) (Deer Resistant)

• Fothergilla Mt. Airy

• Fothergilla gardenii (Dwarfed)

SPIREA
(Seldom severely damaged by deer)

• Spirea Anthony Waterer

• Spirea Snow Mound

VIBURNUM

• Viburnum dentatum (Native) (Rarely damaged by deer)

  • Viburnum dentatum Blue Muffin (Rarely damaged by deer)

  • Viburnum dentatum Sparkler (Rarely damaged by deer)

• Viburnum plicatums (a non native species)

  • Viburnum plicatum Mariesii

  • Viburnum plicatum Popcorn

• Viburnum carlesii Spice Baby 

DECIDUOUS TREES & SHRUBS

• Amelanchier canadensis, Serviceberry (Native) (Seldom severely damaged by deer)

• Aesculus parviflora (Bottlebrush Buckeye) (Native) (Rarely damaged by deer)

• Deciduous Azaleas (Native) Deer love evergreen Azaleas but are less likely to eat deciduous ones.

• Heptacodium micinoides (Seven-Son Flower) (Rarely damaged by deer) Fragrant flowers late in the season followed by beautiful fall display.

• Rhus aromatica 'Gro Low' (Rarely damaged by deer)

• Sorbaria sorbifolia (Tree Astilbe ) (Rarely damaged by deer) Spreads vigorously. Try 'SEM' for a more compact and controlled cultivar.

CLETHRA alnifolia
(All Native) (Rarely damaged by deer)

• Clethra Vanilla Spice

• Clethra Hummingbird 

• Clethra Ruby Spice 

HYDRANGEA

• Hydrangea arborescens (Native)

• Hydrangea Macrophylla (Big Leaf) (Occasionally severely damaged by deer)

• Hydrangea petiolaris (Climbing) (Occasionally severely damaged by deer)

• Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf) (Occasionally severely damaged by deer)

Amelanchier canadensis, Serviceberry

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Hydrangea macrophylla

Fothergilla Major Mt Airy

Fothergilla

Spirea Snowmound

Viburnum plicatum

[plant profile]

Hydrangea macrophylla

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