Plant
of the Month
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January 2005
Helleborus
x ericsmithii
by Jane Sterndale-Bennett
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Helleborus x
ericsmithii
© Jane Sterndale-Bennett
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Helleborus x ericsmithii is a most interesting
hellebore because it has a combination of three different
species in its parentage. In the 1950s Sir Frederick
Stern was the first to make the cross between the tender
H. lividus and the Corsican hellebore, H.
argutifolius, which became known as H. x
sternii. This was then crossed with H. niger
to produce H.x ericsmithii. Because of
this mixed blood H. x ericsmithii has
a choice of several characteristics. It usually displays
the large open flowers of niger which can be
up to 10cm (4") across and the petals are white or pale
pink on the inside, often marked with green, and a much
darker pink on the outside, which is derived from lividus.
The foliage is a combination of the three lobed, prickle
edged leaves of argutifolius and the five lobed
leaves of niger and they often have a faint cream
veining from lividus. They are a silvery green
in colour and the flowers can be borne several to a
stem with strong, reddish stalks.
This is a sterile hybrid and the plants cannot easily
be increased by division so that the original cross
has to be recreated by a skilled propagator. Eric Smith
was the first person to make this cross and although
the plant was originally known as H. x nigristern,
it is now correctly known as H. x ericsmithii
in commemoration of a very unassuming plantsman. Eric
Smith (1917-1986) lived in Hampshire and devoted his
life to raising new plants. He worked first for the
Hillier Nurseries and then set up his own nursery in
Dorset with Jim Archibald, known as The Plantsmen, one
of the first of the small specialist nurseries. When
this nursery ceased trading he went to work at Hadspen
House where he continued his breeding programmes. Apart
form his work with hellebores he raised innumerable
good hostas, and bergenias were another of his interests.
It is difficult to say what conditions suit H.
x ericsmithii best but because of the provenance
of its parents it does better in an open sunny position.
It likes a good humus rich soil and free drainage and
is not happy in heavy clay. It can be grown in a deep
container or on a raised bank, where the flowers can
be studied closely. It has inherited the hardiness of
its niger parent and survives all but the coldest
weather outside. It grows to about 30cm (12") high and
spreads to about 35cm (15"). The long lasting flowers
appear in mid-winter and by the time it comes into flower
the leaves can become a bit tatty and the removal of
some of these leaves does the plant no harm.
Visit our special
Hellebore feature to find out more about this much loved
group of plants in the family Ranunculaceae.
Contributor
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 Jane
Sterndale-Bennett has been a passionate
gardener for over 30 years with a particular
regard for hardy perennials. In 1980 she
moved from London to Hampshire and started
the garden at White Windows, just north
of Winchester. At the same time she joined
the Hardy Plant Society and finally became
the Chairman of the Society from 1996 to
2001. She is also involved with the National
Council for the Conservation of Plants and
Gardens and holds part of the National Hellebore
Collection in Hampshire.
The garden has been open to the public
for many years through the National Gardens
Scheme and it has featured in books, magazines
and on TV. Jane has also written about the
garden in magazines and she is a member
of the Garden Writers' Guild.
Jane lectures extensively both at home
and abroad and has been to France, Ireland,
Canada, Japan and New Zealand. She is a
keen photographer and illustrates her lectures
with her own slides.
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Photo Credits
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All photos courtesy of Mrs. Jane Sterndale-Bennett
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