A rose for christmas (Christmas Rose)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	Christmas Rose
Date:	17/12/07 (167 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Flowers in the winter

Disadvantages: poisonous

The Christmas rose Helleborus Niger is not a rose as we know it from the family Rosaceae, but it is a hellebore from the Ranunculus (buttercup family.)


This plant is one of the few plants that flower in the winter time to cheer our souls.

LEGEND
~~~~~ There is a legend that a young shepherd girl seeing the wise men and shepherds taking gifts to the baby Jesus found a flower blooming through the snow and took it to the stable as her gift to the Christ child.
Apparently you should plant /put a Christmas rose by the door to let Christ into your house.

Flowering time
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This plant will flower anytime from December to April. Often flowering and getting confused with the Lenten rose Hellorborous. Orientalis which tends to flower just as winter is ending

What it looks like.
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The Christmas rose grows 12-15 inches30cm-50cm tall. It has shiny leathery dark green leaves. Its flowers are white tinged with pink flower. The stalk bears a single flower. The flower is about2 to 4 inches/5cm-10cm in diameter50. The flower is shaped like a bowl and has 5 petals. Inn the centre of the flower the yellow stamens are quite long making an attractive centre to the flower

Growing.
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The Christmas rose is a native of central and southern Europe. It is fairly easy to grow in the garden.
Plant in the garden in early spring. They need partial shade, which gives sunlight in the winter months. The soil most suited is deep, fertile, moist but with drainage. Give the soil lots of humus before planting the Christmas rose. The roots (poisonous) planted downwards into the soil the crown (where roots meet stem) about an inch below the soil. Put some mulch around the top of the soil around the crown. You can grow Christmas rose from seed but they take a few years to bloom.

Caring for.
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If growing indoors keep in a cool position and water when soil dry to the touch. You can plant outside once all risk of frost is passed.
Protect outside plants from the wind or flowers will topple over and get tatty. Fertilise them once a year in the spring remove old and tatty leaves.

Buying
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You will probably find Christmas roses in pots at the garden centre now in bloom to help you celebrate Christmas. On line a Christmas rose in bud/flower cost £4.95 from http://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/ViewBasket.asp?A ddProductID=11305&ProductID=

Warning
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The roots of this plant are poisonous as are many other hellebores; it's possible the other parts of the plant are poisonous too.

Summary: A christmas rose