Chinese hellebore

This species is the only species which comes from China, more precisely from the rainforests of the provinces Gansu, Shaanxi, Hubei and Sichuan. Therefore this species is isolated from all other Helleborus-species.

The deciduous leaves of this acaulescent species are subdivided into 8 up to 10 segments. Furthermore they are mellow and toothed. The early flowering of H. thibethanus makes the plant vulnerable to late frosts in the spring. Damaged flower stalks can collapse and die.

The huge flowers of this slow growing Helleborus species can show as crème-white to pink. The flowers can show pink veins and often become a deeper pink, when getting older. The leaves decline after the plant has flowered.

The seedlings of H. thibethanus are something special, because the cotyledons stay in the soil (hypogeous germination) and the first visible leaf is the primary foliage leaf.