Hellebores, known in the northern hemisphere as Christmas and Lenten roses because of their flowering times, are found in the wild mostly around the Mediterranean, west to Spain and east to Turkey, and also in Britain (H. foetidus) and far off Tibet (H. thibetanus). They are reliably frost hardy and like cool, damp winters, thriving in gardens on the ranges and western slopes, ideal for the shade of deciduous trees as they need winter sun to flower – don’t plant them in the shade of conifers.
