Northwest Blooms · Perennials
Helleborus × hybridus 'New York Night'
New York Night Lenten Rose
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Height
- 18 to 24 in
- Width
- 18 to 24 in
- Flower color
- Deep purple-black to nearly black (sometimes charcoal-purple) single flowers
- Foliage color
- Dark green, leathery, evergreen leaves
- Bloom time
- Late winter into early spring
- Light
- Partial shade to full shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low; remove spent flower stems after bloom and cut back old or tattered leaves in late winter before new growth emerges
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Wildlife
- Flowers offer early-season nectar and pollen for bumblebees and other pollinators
About this plant
Helleborus × hybridus 'New York Night' is an evergreen perennial that forms a tidy mound of dark green, leathery leaves and bears nodding, single flowers. The blooms range from deep charcoal-purple to near jet black, with a central cluster of pale or creamy stamens. The flowers appear on sturdy stems from late winter into early spring, often from February through April, bringing dramatic, long-lasting color when few other plants bloom.
Introduced as part of the HONEYOOM® Series, 'New York Night' is noted for its vigorous habit, generous flower set, and reliable early-season performance. Its evergreen foliage and deep-colored flowers suit woodland gardens, shaded borders, or container plantings, where its dark blooms provide a rich, moody accent to late-winter and early-spring planting schemes.
Works well in
Borders · Shade Gardens · Woodland Gardens · Pollinator Gardens · Containers
Companion plants
Bleeding hearts · Solomon's seal · Ferns · Lungworts · Wild ginger · Japanese forest grass
Design tip
Flowers in the quietest months make this worth a sheltered spot within sight of a window or door. Cooler light suits it, so tuck it on the north side of a shrub or wall where the soil stays even.
