Helleborus ‘Pacific Frost’

Pink and White Accents on Every Leaf

Tolerates more sun than most Hellebores.

(Synonym Helleborus corsicus ‘Pacific Frost’) Truly exceptional variegation distinguishes this Corsican Hellebore, which arose in a garden in British Columbia several years ago and has been the darling of many a collector ever since. Each large, leathery, finely spiked leaf is covered with a dusting of white and pink, most strongly in spring but persisting year-round.

This plant reaches 18 to 24 inches tall and 18 inches wide in the partly shaded garden, with a dense, very well-branched habit. The small pale green blooms, 2 to 3 inches across, arise on sturdy 3-foot stems over a long season from late winter into spring. But it’s the foliage that is the real draw: bright, generously variegated, and utterly unlike any others in the family, it is a must-have for every Hellebore lover.

Native to Corsica and Sardinia, this species of Hellebore is more sun-tolerant than others, but also has less patience with humidity. It is best grown in cooler-summer climates. Give it partial shade and well-drained soil enriched with organics the first few seasons; once etablished, it will be far more tolerant of less ideal conditions. Easy and very eye-catching. Zones 5-9.