Heavenly hellebores.
Now that winter seems to have finally arrived, we will soon be seeing some harbingers of spring; the nodding flowers of hellebores.
There are approximately 15 species within the Helleborus genus. The most commonly found are Helleborus niger (Christmas rose) and Helleborus orientalis (Lenten rose), most cultivars found in stores are hybrids of Helleborus orientalis and are listed as Helleborus x hybridus. Despite its common name it is not closely related to the rose family.
In spite of its beauty and other attractive attributes, hellebores have a checkered past. It is a very toxic plant and in fact, one can develop skin irritation from prolonged exposure when working with or weeding around the plant (so long sleeves and gloves are recommended).
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