General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Partial or Dappled Shade
Full Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Plant Height: 12 to 30 inches (75 cm)
Plant Spread: 48 inches (1.2 m)
Leaves: Evergreen
Malodorous
Other: leathery
Flowers: Showy
Malodorous
Flower Color: Bi-Color: Pale green with maroon edges
Bloom Size: Under 1"
1"-2"
Flower Time: Late winter or early spring
Spring
Winter
Uses: Provides winter interest
Cut Flower
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Resistances: Deer Resistant
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous
Roots are poisonous
Other: All parts of the plant can be highly toxic if ingested and can cause eye and skin irritation
Propagation: Seeds: Stratify seeds: Cold stratification may not be necessary but is usually recommended
Other info: Hellebore seed may take 6-18 months (or more) to germinate
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Pollinators: Flies
Bees
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Awards and Recognitions: Other: 2001 Great Plant Picks Award Winner

Image
Common names
  • Stinking Hellebore
  • Hellebore
  • Bear's Foot
  • Stinkwort
  • Foetid Hellebore
  • Ox Heel

Photo Gallery
Location: In my Northern California garden
Date: 2012-03-19
Location: Hortus Camera Lapidea
Date: 2023-01-21
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Boyd House garden)
Date: February 6, 2023
Stinking Hellabore # 159 nn; LHB page 405, 70-16-?, "Classical na
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Boyd House garden)
Date: February 6, 2023
Stinking Hellabore # 159 nn (tba)
Location: In my Northern California garden
Date: 2012-03-19
I love the beautiful red edge on these blooms
Location: Helmsley Walled Garden, Yorkshire UK
Date: 2022-06-24
Location: Fairfax, VA
Location: Fairfax, VA
Location: Bea’s garden
Date: 2023-04-03
Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2019-02-14
Location: Cowell's garden centre, Newcastle UK
Date: 2022-12-10
Location: New York Botanical Gardens Bronx NY
Date: April 2022
Cloudy day.
Location: Fairfax, VA
Location: Fairfax, VA
Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-01-10
Under an old Valley Oak in the Hamilton Plot.
Location: Nora's Garden - Castlegar BC
Date: 2016-04-09
 1:15 pm. Green blossoms with a few reddish tips.

Courtesy types-of-flowers
Location: Orange County, California
Date: 2022-01-10
Location: Pyrenees, Spain
Date: 2018-12-22
Wild one
Location: Southern Pines, NC (Boyd House garden)
Date: February 6, 2023
Stinking Hellabore # 159 nn; LHB page 405, 70-16-?, "Classical na

Leo Michels
Location: Bea’s garden
Date: 2023-06-07
Location: Riverview, Robson, B.C.
Date: 2009-06-17
 8:00 pm. A striking plant, in all of it's seasons.
Location: Nora's Garden - Castlegar BC
Date: 2016-04-30
 7:37 pm. A very clean and decorative plant.
Location: Part Shade Pittsford NYZ6a
Date: 2010-04-21
The following year

Photo Courtesy of Secret Garden Growers.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Chicago
Date: March 2020

Photo: Kurt Stüber

Leo Michels

Leo Michels
Photo by ge1836
Location: Hamilton Square Perennial Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2016-01-29
Zone 9b.
Location: In my Northern California garden
Date: 2012-03-19
Location: St Louis
Date: 2012-05-13

Date: 2009-02-05

photo credit: H. Zell
Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-01-29
Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-01-29
Location: Lucketts, Loudoun County, Virginia
Date: 2016-03-09
Overwwinter foliage

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials

PhotoL TeunSpaans; Source: Wikimedia Commons

Photo Courtesy of Secret Garden Growers.
  • Uploaded by Joy

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia
Location: Hamilton Square perennial garden Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2014-03-07
Location: NJ
Date: 2020-04-28

Photo Courtesy of Lazy S'S Farm Nursery.
  • Uploaded by Joy

Photo Courtesy of Lazy S'S Farm Nursery.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: SunZone 6a
Date: 2016-02-01
Location: SunZone 6a
Date: 2016-02-01
Photo by robertduval14
Location: Part Shade Pittsford NYZ6a
Date: 2009-02-09
This was 2009 only one season here.This plant has more than doubl
Location: This was taken in my garden in the snow.
Date: 2010-03-04
This plant is tagged in:
Image

Comments:
  • Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Jan 27, 2012 3:00 PM concerning plant:
    Honey bees get nectar and pollen from this plant
  • Posted by virginiarose (Virginia - Zone 8a) on Apr 16, 2013 6:17 PM concerning plant:
    Lazy S's farm says this, "AND not only is it deer resistant but planted amongst your other perennials and allowed to naturalize, WILL KEEP DEER OUT OF YOUR GARDEN. They won't go anywhere near this plant!"
  • Posted by SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Jan 2, 2013 9:59 AM concerning plant:
    RHS: "Helleborus foetidus and H. viridis are both British natives occurring on the chalk-hills of southern England in woods and scrub, often forming quite large colonies.

    The true wild hellebore species are not commonly grown in gardens as hellebores hybridise very easily and the hybrids are excellent garden plants with improved form, flowering and flower colour."

Plant Events from our members
aspenhill On May 16, 2015 Obtained plant
Green Spring Plant Sale (Master Gardener Booth) - qty 8; Hillside
aspenhill On May 11, 2012 Obtained plant
Berkley Springs Market - qty 3; HSG Area 6
raindropsonroses On April 10, 2015 Obtained plant
dnrevel On April 15, 2021 Transplanted
Planted in the shade of a young peach tree in the new northeast front garden.
dnrevel On April 13, 2021 Obtained plant
Bought from Home Depot (last one they had) - New to me in 2021. Lucked out and got great deal on this special plant.
WebTucker On February 6, 2023 Bloomed
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Reeks by eclayne Sep 29, 2012 12:10 PM 1

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