Plants grow in gradually expanding clumps and can reseed but are generally not invasive. The flowers remain decorative for some time after full bloom but can be cut off to prevent reseeding and encourage foliage growth. Like a sword fern, new growth comes out of the center of the clump as the previous season’s leaves fall to the ground. Since hellebores are very susceptible to botrytis, a fungal disease, and to keep things tidy, cut off old leaves as the new flowers rise in the winter or early spring. Plants can be divided to propagate them, but they prefer being left alone and will often take an extra year to bloom again if disturbed.

When planting new hellebores, make sure to put them where you can see them bloom in winter. Plant in combination with spring bulbs, especially early daffodils and crocus, and other winter-blooming plants like cyclamen and witch hazel for a fabulous winter garden, or mix with other tough shade plants like sword fern and Epimedium for year-round interest in a dark corner. They make a beautiful groundcover under deciduous trees, where the flowers can shine before the trees leaf out, providing them with summer shade. They can even do well in containers as long as you don’t mind the lack of summer flowers.

All hellebores, like many other plants in the Ranunculaceae family, are toxic to people and animals if ingested. However, this is rarely a problem because the leaves are tough and a bit prickly. Still, it also means that deer very seldom interfere with them. In addition to being deer-proof, hellebores seldom have trouble with insect or slug damage. Although aphids can occasionally crop up, they can be washed off with a blast of water from a hose and seldom do lasting damage.

Because many hellebores start putting up flower stalks in January, there’s always a risk that they’ll get snowed on or frozen. While this won’t hurt the plant, it can sometimes result in damaged stems. Usually, they’ll just pop right back up after the snow melts, but if stems are broken, cut the flowers and bring them inside to float in a shallow bowl of water for a beautiful table display. Bringing them in as cut flowers also lets you admire them up close without getting down on hands and knees in the muddy yard.

If you’re just starting to be interested in hellebores, take advantage of local nurseries holding special hellebore days, or visit garden shows and public gardens to see huge swaths of hellebores in full bloom in February and March, then take that inspiration back to your own garden to make next winter spectacular.