Helleborus argutifolius

Helleborus argutifolius, Holly-Leaved Hellebore or Corsican Hellebore, is a large-growing evergreen perennial from Corsica and Sardinia. It bears gorgeous green flowers in the heart of winter or early Spring at a time when flowers are a welcome sight. Its foliage has an exotic appearance with each large leaf having three leaflets with attractive serrated margins. Although this foliage is extremely attractive, the stems often grow tall and straggly and a more elegant plant can be encouraged by cutting back the stems to ground-level after flowering is over by which time new growth should be sprouting from the base.

Helleborus argutifolius has had various taxonomic name-changes, oscillating back and forth from Helleborus argutifolius to Helleborus lividus subsp. corsicus. Most gardeners will ignore this.