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Helleborus lividus, Aiton (1789)

  • Perennial, glabrous to 16" in flower
  • Leaves along stem, trifoliate, mostly not toothed; often wintergreen on
    annual stem but tender (USDA zone 8)
  • Flowers cream, green often with pinkish markings; 1.25-2.5" in
    diameter
  • Majorca, Minorca?Cabrera?
  • Woodland, slopes, valleys to 4000 feet

Endemic to the island of Majorca, Helleborus lividus is now uncommon in the
wild. It is also relatively rare in gardens due to the fact it is not reliably frost
hardy in many continental environments. H. lividus is a very stocky plant with
foliage less than 10" high and flowers to little more than 1 ft. Its size clearly
distinguishes it from Helleborus argutifolius, as do its colorful markings and
geographical distribution. The flowers are small and not overwhelming, but
the cream to light green interior contrasts well with the pinkish and purplish
hues on the outer sepals. Despite its size, the plant has a wonderful
demeanor and is capable of interesting color combinations on the leaves,
petioles, and flowers; it can be quite showy

Its closest relative is Helleborus argutifolius, but the leaves of H. lividus are
usually far less toothed and more colorful. It is also an overall much smaller
plant. Like the Corsican hellebore, it is trifoliate (the young first leaves are
often entire), but the color is a deeper green with silver marbling. The pinkish
hues of the flowers are also carried on the petioles, and on underside of the
leaves dark veining is sometimes present. The two species can hybridize
freely and have in the past been considered different forms of the same
species; but, they are now generally viewed as distinct, and each are
geographically isolated from the other.

Hybrids and garden intermediates between the two species are referred to as
Helleborus x sternii. Hybrids can produce plants closely resembling either
parent (phenetically indistinguishable), as well as a whole spectrum of
intermediate forms between those extremes. Even back crosses with H.
lividus may not reliably give the coloration found in H. lividus.

The Majorcan hellebore has been used successful crosses invlolving H.
niger, most often as a pollen parent. Hybrids of H. lividus often keep much of
the beauty while gaining hardiness. Two of these are H x ballardiae (a hybrid
of H. niger and H. lividus) and H x ericsmithii (a hybrid of H. niger and H x
sternii). Some of these are excellent garden plants, and are often sterile.
Several have recently been mass produced via tissue culture. Still, lividus
'blood' is relatively scarce in North American gardens.