Gro 'n Sell
Helleborus HGC® Winter Ballet Collection (18)
Helleborus and Echinacea and Eryngium are available weeks 9-16. They can be combined with other perennials that are available weeks 2-16.
The Helleborus Gold Collection is the finest group of Hellebores on the market, and the range keeps growing. The Winter Ballet series will bloom earlier than the Ice n' Roses series when grown in mild locations. They can easily flower in November or December. Of course if you have very cold or long winters, they will wait until the spring thaw to produce their flowers. Consider growing them in a tunnel for an earlier harvest. This series is a bit shorter than Ice n' Roses, but they still 15" or taller.
They are vigorous! These quickly form large productive clumps in just 1 or 2 years. You will have stems to cut in 2027.
They flower quickly. Expect to harvest a few stems about 10-12 months after planting, and then 10-15 stems each year thereafter.
The flower face upwards or outwards making them far more useful to designers.
They hold their color better than other seed grown strains, meaning they will still be in color when they are ready to cut (when the stamens start to shed).
These are grown in an 18 cell tray (actually it's a tray of 18, 4" pots), and they can ship along with our other large 32-cell perennials.
To read more about each variety, check out the breeder's website here!
Learn More: Helleborus Growing Guide
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Please note that vernalized perennial orders must be placed separately from other plug orders. The minimum order is two trays, which may be mixed and matched with all other perennials in this collection. Learn more about our perennial program here.
About Tray Sizes (please read)
210 and 125 cell trays are full-sized trays, and three of these will fit in a shipping box.
50 cell trays are half-sized trays (unless otherwise noted) and two of these are the equivalent of one full sized tray. Six of these will fit in a shipping box. These trays are long and skinny. (Think hotdogs). There are not compatible with 25 cell half trays. Scoop scabiosa, veronica, solidago, gypsophila, hypericum, herbs, some tweedia, and others are grown in the 50 cell tray.
*Chrysanthemums are grown in the same 50 cell half tray as mentioned above, but due to their height, they take up twice as much space. So TWO half trays of mums takes up 2/3 of the box.
25 cell half trays are also half-sized trays, but they are short and square. (Think hamburgers). These are not compatible with 50 cell half trays. Limonium and astrantia are grown in this tray.
Gerberas are also grown in a 25 cell half tray, but are tall that the others, and FOUR of these half trays of gerberas fills a box.
18 and 32 cell trays are full sized trays specifically for our vernalized perennials. These have their own set of shipping rules (find details HERE) and cannot be combined with items grown in 210, 125, or 50 cell trays.
Growing Guides
Click here to access all of our comprehensive growing guides.
| Common Name | Hellebore |
| Genus | Helleborus |
| Species | hybrids |
| Family |
Ranunculaceae
|
| Life Cycle | perennial |
| Format | Perennial Plugs |
| Plug Care |
Transplant on arrival, or hold in pots for several weeks.
|
| Netting / Staking | None |
| Temperature Range |
Quite adaptable. They are fully hardy in most environments. A winter chilling period is needed to initiate flowering.
|
| Spacing |
12-18"
|
| Soil Preference |
Well drained, moisture retentive and generally fertile.
|
| Day Length | Not Applicable |
| Pinching | No |
| When to Plant |
Transplant at any time of year, for bloom the following winter/spring.
|
| Harvesting |
Wait until the sepals harden and stamens start to shed before cutting.
|
| Post Harvest Care |
Prone to wilting when cut too early. Some growers slice the stems lengthwise to increase water uptake. More mature flowers are longer lasting than newly opened flowers. Hellebores benefit from deep water, which pushes the hydration up the stems. Use Quick Dip on cut stems for best performance in the vase.
|
| Diseases / Insects |
Generally pest- and disease-free.
|
| Bailey's Notes |
Best grown in partial shade. Can be planted in a woodland setting. Very long lived. This series of hybrids is far more vigorous than the more commonly available "orentalis" types. They bloom faster and produce more stems than seed grown strains.
|
| Resources |
*In-depth Growing Guide coming soon*