Helleborus x sternii

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plantsman50

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Helleborus x sternii
« on: March 10, 2013, 05:02:31 PM »
Hi,

It is particularly cold in the UK Midlands today, snow flurries and a biting wind. This plant, flowering in my greenhouse, cheered me up no end.

Martin
Martin Froggatt - Ripley, Derbyshire UK. Member of RHS and Alpine Garden Society. Grows an eclectic selection of plants in a very well drained south facing loam. Quality Manager by profession and enjoys photography and visiting gardens.

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Alisdair

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Re: Helleborus x sternii
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2013, 05:15:01 PM »
What a lovely thing, Martin! Both its parents come from Mediterranean islands, don't they?
Do any of our members grow it in the Med basin?
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

plantsman50

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Re: Helleborus x sternii
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2013, 05:17:33 PM »
I believe they do Alisdair. Not sure if this is a naturally occurring hybrid or was created by the hand of man.

Martin
Martin Froggatt - Ripley, Derbyshire UK. Member of RHS and Alpine Garden Society. Grows an eclectic selection of plants in a very well drained south facing loam. Quality Manager by profession and enjoys photography and visiting gardens.

Alice

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Re: Helleborus x sternii
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2013, 07:22:17 PM »
Stunning picture, Martin.

A google search resulted in the following information:
Helleborus x sternii is a hybrid between the robust, cold-hardy, green-flowered H. argutifolius from Corsica and Sardinia with H. lividus from the Balearic islands, which has red highlights and smoky pink flowers but is tender. It was first exhibited in 1947 and is named after the celebrated British plantsman, Sir Frederick Stern.
My guess is that it was created by the hand of man.
Amateur gardener who has gardened in north London and now gardens part of the year on the Cycladic island of Paros. Conditions: coastal, windy, annual rainfall 350mm, temp 0-35 degrees C.

Trevor Australis

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Re: Helleborus x sternii
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2013, 10:28:24 PM »
I grow, or try to, all three. H. corsicus is no trouble at all and self-sows masses of seedlings every year. H. lividus is more difficult to keep going and I am not sure why. It seems much less vigorous than the Corsican hellebore but I've seen it growing in deep scree at Torre d'Ariant so possibly our soil gets too warm for healthy root growth???? H. x sternii is very variable in vigour. Those hybrids closest in appearance to Corsicus are very hardy and long-lived. I have one clump with 20 or so stems that is at least 20 yrs old, but the really 'fancy' forms with heavily lacinated and marbled leaves seem much more delicate and are short lived. This may be due to these forms being bred and raised in the UK and then tissue-cultured for introduction in Australia. It would be instructive to know how long-lived these htbrids are in the UK. Are they always grown in greenhouses, or can they be established in gardens?

M Land. Arch., B. Sp. Ed. Teacher, traveller and usually climate compatible.

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John J

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Re: Helleborus x sternii
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2013, 05:34:35 AM »
That's an amazing photo, Martin. What's almost as amazing is seeing a post from someone in my own, small, home town.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

plantsman50

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Re: Helleborus x sternii
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2013, 07:08:57 PM »
Thank you John.

A small world. I guess the temperatures in Cyprus are not arctic like they are today in Ripley !

Martin
Martin Froggatt - Ripley, Derbyshire UK. Member of RHS and Alpine Garden Society. Grows an eclectic selection of plants in a very well drained south facing loam. Quality Manager by profession and enjoys photography and visiting gardens.

Daisy

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Re: Helleborus x sternii
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2013, 08:13:36 AM »
I love that photo ;D I want to frame it and have it on my wall.
Daisy :)
Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS

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John J

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Re: Helleborus x sternii
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2013, 12:44:42 PM »
In reply to Martin's comment about the difference in temperature between Cyprus and the East Midlands of UK. Spring has it seems put in an appearance here with blossom on the almond, apple, plum and apricot trees. Apologies for the poor picture quality but, hopefully, you'll get the point. Driving back from town this lunchtime my car registered the outside temp as 19C.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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Alisdair

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Re: Helleborus x sternii
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2013, 01:15:12 PM »
All looks idyllic, John. Much less cold in Sussex here today, but on Monday the wind chill brought the temperature-equivalent off the snowfields here down to minus 9.
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

HansA

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Re: Helleborus x sternii
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2013, 11:04:23 PM »
Here an actual picture of Helleborus lividus - it grows well in a shady well drained spot with enough moisture.
bulbgrower on the balearic islands, spain
landscape architect