Helleborus is a small genus in the buttercup family comprising about 20 species of perennial flowering plants. Hellebores are primarily European natives, growing in open meadows in Italy, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, Turkey, and even China. Despite names such as ‘Christmas rose’ and ‘Lenten rose’, hellebores are not related to the rose family [Rosaceae].
The Lenten rose is a winter-blooming, broadleaf evergreen. Blooms appear in late winter and persist into spring. All parts of the plant are poisonous.
The Lenten rose typically grows up to 45 cm tall in an upright clump. The flowers are large, cup-shaped, and nodding. Their color varies from white, and pink, to rose. They have yellow stamens and rise above the foliage on thick stems.
The Lenten rose is native to Asia Minor and Eurasia including Greece, Turkey, and the Caucasus.