As one of those rare plants that bloom during the winter, especially during Christmas, the black hellebore or the Christmas rose has been decorating nativity scenes since the Middle Ages, in celebration of the birth of Jesus. -Christ.
Every year, as Christmas and the end-of-year celebrations approach, it is always a real pleasure for me to decorate the tree with my children. And as it is already a very old tradition in our family, we always set up a Christmas nativity scene, just near the fir tree, without of course forgetting to decorate it with some magnificent hellebore flowers. So, for those who are not very familiar with the tradition of the Christmas rose, it is good to know that this practice dates back to the Middle Ages.
This perennial plant which has the great particularity of flowering throughout the winter period is very popular with Christians, especially Catholics, as a decoration for their Christmas nativity scene, which is reminiscent of the representation of the birth of Christ. But why hellebore rather than another plant? Quite simply because according to tales and legends, the helleborus niger are the tears of the shepherdess Madelon, transformed into a flower by an angel, as a present for the newborn, hence the name of the Christmas rose. .
Belonging to the Ranunculaceae family, the black hellebore or hellebore is a perennial that stands out above all from the plants of the same family for its flowering which occurs throughout the winter, as well as at the beginning of spring. More precisely from December to March and exceptionally in May, for the toughest varieties.
Of Chinese and Mediterranean origin, the Christmas rose is easily recognized by its lobed white flower shaded with pink or purple hues. Able to easily reach 70 centimeters in height, the black hellebore is however a very toxic plant, since its foliage, its flowers and its fruits are particularly rich in helleborine, which can influence breathing, increase blood pressure or paralyze the system. nervous.
Regarding the cultivation of the Christmas rose, I have always grown mine in pots, since it is a flower that is still quite difficult to maintain. For better flowering, I prefer clay and humus soils.
