Pruning of Helleborus foliage

Today I would like to briefly go into the cutting of the leaves on our spring and snow roses. These varieties and species of Helleborus usually start blooming in the garden from January and often have colored flowers. In order to better bring out these flowers and to prevent leaf diseases – which can also spread to the plant and cause it to die – I carefully cut down the leaves from December onwards. The best time is when the first buds can be seen.

We have been doing this for many years now and are doing very well with it. Since almost all of our Helleborus are in the vicinity of spring bloomers in the wooded borders, the overall appearance also fits better. The cut is absolutely not a necessity; you can also let nature take its course. But if you walk through the garden on beautiful winter days, we are particularly pleased with the wonderful many color variations of this great winter shrub.

Yesterday I cut some new Helleborus specialties – which are still in the pot. In the small photo gallery you can hopefully see where I cut with the scissors. You can also see the fungal attack on some leaves. What is left are clean pots that are airy and will show the first flowers in 2-4 weeks.

Important: This is a method that we practice in our garden on the Lower Rhine.