H. purpurascens is one of the smaller Helleborus species and it is distributed in wide areas of East Europe, e.g. Rumania, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine and Czechoslovakia. There it grows in the woodlands in lime soil.

This acaulescent species is not evergreen. The new leaves develop in the early winter and have fine hairs. The leaves are divided into five parts, which are also subdivided into 3 or 6 segments. The single segments have an elliptic shape and are serrated.

The leaves are late to develop. The flower show consists of three flowers that stand alone. In March the single flowers open. The color of the flowers differs from plant to plant. Some flowers are purple with a light purple inside. There are some shades of grey-blue, pink-purple and even some brown shades.