Helleborus 'Maestro' 2L

Helleborus ‘Maestro’ comes from the Helleborus Gold Collection® and is one of the most generous winter-flowering perennials you can grow. It starts flowering from late autumn or early winter. Pink buds open into creamy-white flowers flushed with pink, which gradually deepen to a soft, dusky mid-pink as they age. Because the buds keep coming, a single clump carries a mix of colours at once, from palest blush to rose. The flowers face outwards rather than nodding, so you can enjoy their faces without lifting each bloom. It’s listed as an RHS Plant for Pollinators, because it gives early-foraging bees a welcome meal in the depths of winter.

‘Maestro’ is a Helleborus × ballardiae hybrid, a cross between the Christmas rose (H. niger) and H. lividus. It forms a compact, evergreen clump of glossy dark green leaves finely veined with silver, about 30–40cm high. That makes it a natural fit for the front of a border, a woodland edge, a rockery or a winter container by the door. It tends to flower well in its first year, which is a real bonus with a young plant.

Plant in partial or dappled shade, in rich, moist but well-drained soil. It copes well with clay and chalk, provided the ground doesn’t dry out. Remove any tired or marked older leaves in late winter so the flowers stand out clearly. ‘Maestro’ is fully hardy, and rabbits and deer usually pass it by. Like all hellebores, every part of the plant is harmful if eaten and the sap can irritate skin, so wear gloves when handling it and keep it out of reach of curious pets and children.

Supplied in a 2 litre pot.

Each plant is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.