Helleborus 'Moondance'
Helleborus x iburgensis ‘Moondance’
Moondance hybrid Lenten Rose
USDA Zones 5a - 8b
This hybrid hellebore is an evergreen perennial that blooms through late winter. The ‘Moondance’ variety combines the best traits of Christmas rose, Helleborus niger with the silver veined foliage of Helleborus lividus, & the colorful flowers of Helleborus x hybridus. At maturity the plants stand 24” tall with a equal spread. Hellebores work well planted in the ground, in containers, as border plants, in Asian/Zen gardens, rock gardens, woodland shade gardens, & when mass planted they work well as a ground cover.
If you don’t mind waiting a few seasons they will turn into a ground cover on their own! When grown in-ground it will self seed if planted in the same spot & never moved, eventually creating a sea of deep red blooms & vibrant, unique foliage.
To promote a neat appearance & stimulate new growth be sure to dead head faded flowers.
‘Moondance’ have a long blooming period lasting from winter to early spring. The flowers are a beautiful white color sometimes brushed with a blush pink tint in its early stages. These showy flowers can be used as cut flowers! When ‘Moondance’ isn’t blooming it’s beautiful variegated foliage is stunning.
SUN
Partial sun, partial shade, full shade
WATER
Moderate; keep soil lightly moist, but not soggy.
SOIL
Partial to rich, moist, alkaline, well draining soils. With that being said, they are tolerant plants & as long as they are in moist soil that doesn’t get dry easily or does not stay waterlogged, they should be fine.
TEMPERATURE
Find a sheltered site to protect from cold weather winds.
You will receive a 1 gallon size plant bare root without a pot.
WARNING: Hellebores are poisonous if ingested & can irritate your skin.
- Immerse the pot/root ball in water shortly before planting until the air bubbles stop rising to the surface. This ensures your root ball is saturated & ready to plant.
- Dig a hole approximately double the size of the current root ball.
- Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole to a good depth.
- Remove the plant from the pot & plant it so deeply that the top of the root ball is lightly covered with soil. Then press down the soil around the plant.
- Water in after planting.
SPACING IS IMPORTANT
Space the plants 80 cm apart because the plants will grow strongly in their second year, requiring more space.