Lenten-rose - Helleborus orientalis

Description

Helleborus orientalis grows to a height of about 30 cm and has large, saucer shaped flowers, mostly 5 - 7mm across, in a variety of colours including white, pink, plum, purple, bluish or yellow-green, often with crimson speckles.  Fruits (follicles) are shortly stalked and free to the base, not fused.

This is one of many cultivated plants that escapes into the wild and persists, at least for a time.  Cultivated plants represent a complex groups of segregates, varieties and hybrids, so there is great variety in the appearance of the plants.

Similar Species

Helleborus viridis is similar, but with smaller flowers, always pale-green, and with sessile fruits that are partly fused.

Identification difficulty
Recording advice

A photo of the whole plant in its habitat

Habitat

Usually found as an escape from cultivation, and often close to habitation.

When to see it

Flowers in early spring.

Life History

Herbaceous perennial, sometimes evergreen.

UK Status

Seems to be quite widespread in Britain as an escape from cultivation.

VC55 Status

Rarely recorded in the wild in Leicestershire and Rutland. It was not recorded in the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire, and is not listed in the current checklist (Jeeves, 2011).

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Lenten-rose
Species group:
Wildflowers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Ranunculales
Family:
Ranunculaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
11
First record:
25/03/2017 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
11/03/2024 (Alton, John)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records