Hellebore Pink With Spots Perennial Flower Bud Opened Stock Photography

Hellebores are among the earliest perennial flowers to bloom, welcoming spring with their rose-like blossoms. In warm locales, Helleborus orientalis commonly called Lenten rose can bloom outdoors at Christmastime. In colder zones, hellebores will break through the frozen ground early in the spring. Commonly known as hellebores, the Eurasian genus Helleborus consists of approximately 20 species of herbaceous or evergreen perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae, within which it gave its name to the tribe of Helleboreae. Despite names such as `winter rose`, `Christmas rose` and `Lenten rose`, hellebores are not closely related to the rose family. Many hellebore species are poisonous.