Botanical name: Helleborus foetidus
Folk names: stinking hellebore (no discernable scent!), ‘setterwort’

Type: Perennial

Wildlife: Bumblebees can vibrate to warm themselves up and are the chosen pollinator for this mid to late winter flowerer (also recommended by Bumblebee Conservation). Winter active Buff-tailed bumblebees get covered in the pollen and the fermenting nectar can be slightly alcoholic! Bee flies have also been spotted visiting the flowers in my garden and it may be used by early spring-flying solitary bees and emerging queen bumblebees. Hedgehogs use it as cover when navigating the garden.

Flowers: December to March

Decorative merit: Charmingly-sized, drooping, bell-like flowers in a soft green that lights up in the new year sun. Sepal edges turn crimson to let bumblebees know the nectar is gone. Darker, evergreen, long pointed leaves provide interest all year-round and a helpful contrast when planted close to deciduous trees in winter. Keeps its colour and structure through the year unlike some hellebore cultivars.

Where: Sun or shade. Borders. Helpful in the dry shade underneath trees.

Folklore: Do you have any stories about our native hellebore? Share them here.

Please note: The RHS advises this can plant can be a skin irritant and should not be consumed (including by pets).

Donate seeds to Exeter Seed Bank