While you wouldn’t want to plant false hellebore anywhere that animals might graze upon it or children might come in close contact with it, it can be a good choice if you want prolific and verdant greenery. These plants grow to a height of up to 6 feet and send up shoots of tiny, star-like flowers in yellow, green, or white. Even when not in bloom, the broad, oval-shaped leaves are visually appealing. Basal leaves can be 12 inches wide, while leaves further up the stem span three to six inches. A mature false hellebore plant is subject to spreading, thanks to its rhizome root system and seed vessels. If you want to prevent the spread of this plant in your garden or landscape, it’s recommended that you collect the seed vessels rather than letting them fall to the ground after the blooming season. These plants die back in the winter but will return ready to go with the arrival of spring.
Light
False hellebore is most frequently found in partial shade, but this plant won’t object to full sun conditions. It’s a prolific grower that can accommodate three to six hours or more of sunlight.
Soil
The best soil for false hellebore plants is well-draining. Other than that, these plants are adaptable to clay, loam, or sandy soil conditions—though their lush vegetation and flowering are best supported with rich, humusy soil. These plants are adaptable to varying levels of soil pH and grow in alkaline, neutral, and acidic soil.
Water
Often found next to rivers, streams, or creeks, false hellebore loves water. They grow best in very damp, even wet, soil. So plan to provide plenty of irrigation if you want to see these bright green plants thrive. You can also help them to retain more water by layering mulch around them in the spring.
Temperature and Humidity
False hellebore exhibits hardiness across a range of climates, turning up in areas as diverse as Alaska and Georgia. These moisture-dependent plants do fine in wet, humid environments. It’s worth noting, however, that they are more often found in the meadows and mountains of the western and eastern United States, versus the plains or southern regions. Its hardy to USDA zone 3 and will return each spring, despite the subzero temperatures of these regions.
Fertilizer
If provided with adequate water and sufficient sunlight, it’s unlikely that you’ll need to fertilize false hellebore. These plants usually draw more fire for prolific spreading rather than under-producing.
Propagating False Hellebore
Often it seems that more people are concerned with removing false hellebore rather than propagating it, since this plant has a tendency to spread abundantly, thanks in part to rhizome reproduction. You can propagate false hellebore by rhizomes, seed, or division. You should use care when handling this plant due to its toxicity, which can cause skin irritation. It’s recommended that you always wear gloves when working with false hellebore. To propagate this plant by rhizome, you’ll need to dig up a portion of the underground root that has developed both nodes (for sprouting roots) and buds (for sprouting shoots). These rhizomes can then be transplanted into a new location. Don’t plant them too deeply or the buds may not be able to reach the surface. An inch or two below the soil surface is usually sufficient. Propagation by seed follows typical methods. Collect the seed vessels which appear late in the blooming season. The small, flat brown seeds will need plenty of moisture during the seeding process. Be sure to plant them in a sunny location for the best chances at sprouting seedlings. Take note that false hellebore plants propagated by seed may not flower for several years.
Varieties of False Hellebore
There are two similar but distinct varieties of false hellebore. The difference primarily relates to where each variety grows, though subtle differences in the plant’s growth are also detectable.
Veratrum viride var. viride: Grows primarily in the eastern half of North America, from as far north as Newfoundland in Canada to southern regions of the United States like South Carolina and Georgia. The flower stem of this variety typically grows erect and doesn’t’ have a tendency to droop.Veratrum viride var. eschscholzianum: This variety is dominant in western regions, and is found from Alaska, British Columbia, and into westerns states like Washington, Idaho, and California. It differs slightly in appearance from Veratrum viride var. viride by exhibiting flower stems that tend to have a spreading or even droopy growth pattern.
