Christmas Rose

The Christmas rose is actually a hellebore species flower. Its well known for its ability to bloom throughout the winter months. It is also known as Helleborus Niger, Black Hellebore, Snow Rose or Winter Rose. The flower hails from Southern Asia and Europe and is the flower of the mountains. It has been associated with Christmas and New Year since biblical times.

Into the history books…

The legend of the Christmas rose takes us back two thousand years. There was a small girl named Madelon. Madelon wanted to gift Baby Jesus something. She was very poor and could not get a gift for Jesus. So she went in search of flowers but due to extreme cold weather there were no flowers either. She sat at one place and started crying. An angel appeared there, he touched the ground and a beautiful white color flower appeared. Madelon gifted that rose to Jesus.

The beauty…

The flower with five petals and opening in a nodding disk shape looks very enchanting. The petals have a leathery feel and stay long after being cut. There are a large number of stamens appearing from the center of the flower. The Christmas rose is mostly bred as a white flower, although some other colors are available. Some tones of green can be seen on the flower center. The flower appears pink on the back and in bud form. The white bloomed flower turns dark pink or even red as it ages. The bloom of the flower opens up flat with the petals arranged to form a star shape. Diameter of the flower ranges 4 to 7.5 inches. Each petal of the flower is 2 to 4 cm long and 12mm to 4cm wide. However sometimes there can be more than one. The stems of the plant are succulent and cylindrical. The flower looks are unique and can be easily recognized among other flowers. The foliage is dark green in color and looks attractive. The leathery green leaves last long. The blooms of the flower is prolific and appears form December to April or from late fall to early spring.

Gardening

Hellebore species is an evergreen shrubby plant. They bloom very well with even limited car. They do very well in warmer areas.To encourage new blooms and foliage this perennial should be cut down a little in early spring. The plant reaches the height of 9 to 12 inches. The essential requirements for the Hellebores species to grow well are well drained soil, deep watering and partial shade. The soil should contain a lot of humus. It does very well as a groundcover rose. The plants can be grown in containers, gardens or greenhouses. The roots of the plant are woody and poisonous, so be careful with pets or small children. Normal pruning should include the removal of dead leaves and dried leaves. The plant is disease and insects resistant. However aphids and slugs might pose a threat so look out for that. The Christmas rose is hardy for USDA zones 4 to 8.

Consider a Christmas roses for your house or garden!