When it arrives
Your plug tray
20-cell plugs are best potted into 1-quart or 4-inch pots and grown on in shade for a season before going into the ground. Expect them to bloom in a year or two once sized up.
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Wedding Crasher grown by our community
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- Mature height
- 24.0 in
- Mature spread
- 24.0 in
- Bloom
- Late-March – peak Mid-April
- Fragrance
- None
- Deer
- Resistant
Lavender companion · grow guide
How to grow Wedding Crasher
Lenten Rose · Helleborus × hybridus
Lenten roses are long-lived, evergreen shade perennials that bloom in late winter to early spring. Give them part shade and rich, well-drained soil, then leave them be.
Check my zone & planting dates
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Part shadeLight
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Moderate waterAverage drainage
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pH 6.0–8.0Soil
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Zones 4a–9bHardiness
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24″ tall24″ wide
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ResistantDeer · rabbits resistant
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Toxic to petsPets
Huckleberry saysTell me where you grow and I’ll check if Wedding Crasher will thrive there.
Hardy in zones 4a–9b
Spring or early fall.
Your year with Wedding Crasher
JFMAMJJASOND
When to plant
Spring or early fall.
How deep
Set the crown at soil level, never deeper; buried crowns may fail to bloom or rot.
Spacing
18–24 inches apart.
Soil
Rich, humusy loam · pH 6.0–8.0
Fix-it tip: Work in compost or leaf mold; they tolerate slightly alkaline soil. Avoid low spots that stay wet.
Sun
Part shade (tolerates full shade; morning sun).
Deciduous trees are ideal: sun in winter while blooming, shade in summer.
Don’t give up on it
Is it alive? What spring looks like
Evergreen. Flower buds push up from the crown in late winter (often February to April in Michigan), followed by new leaves. Young plug-grown plants may not bloom the first year.
Spring
Blooms late winter to spring; remove old leaves as buds rise.
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Summer
Keep in shade and water in drought.
Fall
Light feeding and compost.
Winter
Evergreen; flower buds form.
Watering
First season: Water regularly the first year to get roots established.
After that: Fairly drought tolerant in shade once established; water in long dry spells.
Feeding
Top-dress with compost in spring; a light feed in spring and fall helps.
Pruning & deadheading
Cut old, tattered leaves off at the base in late winter just as flower buds show so blooms are visible and leaf spot doesn't carry over.
Dividing
Rarely needed; they resent disturbance. Seedlings around the parent can be moved instead.
Winter
Cold hardy across most of the US, including Michigan. Foliage and flowers handle snow and frost; a light mulch helps young plants.
Summer heat
Tolerates heat in shade; leaves may scorch in afternoon sun.
Black blotches on leaves
Likely cause: Fungal leaf spot
What to do: Remove affected leaves; cut old foliage in late winter
No flowers
Likely cause: Young plant, crown too deep, or too much shade
What to do: Replant crown at soil level and wait a year
Sticky leaves and clustered insects
Likely cause: Aphids
What to do: Hose off or use insecticidal soap
Too wet or too dry?
Wilting in summer heat means it's thirsty; blackened stems and crown mean too wet or crown rot.
Watch for
- Hellebore leaf spot (black spots)
- Aphids on new growth
- Slugs
- Crown rot in wet soil
Pets & wildlife
ASPCA: Lenten rose is toxic to dogs, cats and horses (bufadienolides, glycosides); signs include drooling, abdominal pain, diarrhea and depression. Sap can irritate skin.
Deer: resistant · Rabbits: resistant
Finnegan saysStill not sure what’s wrong? Ask Plant Health — describe it or add a photo.
In a container
Good in pots · 3 gallon+
Grows in large pots in shade; give extra winter protection in containers.
Indoors
Outdoor plant
Needs winter cold to bloom; keep outdoors.
Winter chill
Best after a cold winter
Blooms after winter chilling; plants kept warm all year flower poorly.
Growing it on
Plugs from the tray
3–4 inch pots for 3–5 weeks, until roots hold the soil
Garden bed or a 3 gallon pot
Time to move up? Slide the plant out: if white roots wrap the outside of the soil, it’s ready for the next size.
Planting with lavender
Give it its own spot
Plant in a shady bed or under trees, not with lavender. Hellebores need shade and richer soil; they're a great early-season companion elsewhere in the garden.
Same bedNearbyIts own area
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