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Helleborus dumetorum, Waldstein & Kitaibel (1809)

  • Perennial, mostly glabrous; 6-11" in flower
  • Leaves basal, serrate, pedate with 9-12 segments
  • Flowers green, 1-nearly 2" in diameter
  • Austria, Hungary, Romania, Croatia
  • Woodland, thickets

H. dumetorum is a wonderful example of how gardenworthy the entire genus
is. It is a species that is often described as a 'charming' or 'demure' plant of
woodland. While such descriptions are accurate from a human perspective,
the toughness, resilience, and overall versatility of the plant are often
understated. This, after all, is a hellebore. It can grow in woodland or on the
woodland edge or simply out in the open. Almost any position seems to suit it,
but of course a nice well-drained and nutritious soil that doesn't dry out for very
long won't hurt. Like most hellebores, an open position with plenty of light will
help stimulate strong, stout, and floriferous development.

Its geographical distribution includes eastern Slovenia, western Hungary,
southwest Austria, northern Croatia, and probably parts of Romania. It
sometimes forms dense colonies and is often accompanied by thick
underbrush in summer. The leaves show the typical variation of most
acaulescent hellebores and are divided into leaflets of varying thickness.
Peduncles can be quite long and thin and the plant sometimes has an 'airy'
appearance like that of H. atrorubens when in flower. However, the bracts are
quite large and leaf-like. This can provide the opposite effect as the flowers
mature and new leaves develop. H. dumetorum is among the smallest of all
hellebores, and its pale whiteish green, rather inconspicuous, flowers add to
its demure character. Yet, as a garden plant it has tremendous value and
potential, and even wild plants make nice dense clumps that overall make
quite a. Many plants grown in gardens are less conspicuous.

Here are some photos of Croatian H. dumetorum. Photos by Joseph Woodard:























Given provenance, H. dumetorum is mostly an unmistakable plant (and
morphologically mostly so). In this sense, it represents a relatively clean and
useful division in the genus. There are exceptions: In some areas it seems to
have 'influenced' colonies of plants and seems to play a role in intermediate
forms within and near its geographical distribution. Examples include
intermediates in colonies of H. odorus, H. atrorubens, and H. croaticus. There
are also some colonies where plants seem large and with large leaves but
with 'typical' dumetorum flowers.


Helleborus dumetorum growing in
northern Croatia.
Photo by Tim Murphy
Croatian H. dumetorum.
Photo by Joseph Woodard