Hellebore 'Ivory Prince'
Helleborus 'Walhelivor' (Ivory Prince) · Ranunculaceae
Burgundy-pink buds open to ivory flowers that face outwards, not down, and age to green and rose; the leaves are blue-green with silver veins.
- Size
- 16 in tall, 24 in wide
- Zones
- 4 to 9
- Light
- Part sun to shade
- Flowers
- Early March to late April
- Pets
- Toxic (moderate)
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around hellebore 'Ivory Prince'
The planner designed this bed around hellebore 'Ivory Prince' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part shade. It chose the other plants from the 513 that suit those conditions, and says below why hellebore 'Ivory Prince' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Hellebore 'Ivory Prince' × 3, cream
- 2 Leadwort × 8, blue
- 3 Moor grass 'Greenlee' × 6, tan
- 4 Turtlehead 'Hot Lips' × 5, pink
- 5 Log fern × 3, dark green leaves
- 6 Bleeding heart × 1, white
- 7 Hardy cyclamen × 12, pink
- 8 Double snowdrop × 5, white
Why this plant
- The only bold leaves here. The rest are medium and fine. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
- The only open bowls. The others are dense clusters, spires and bells. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- The only cream. Cream sits between stronger colours and calms them.
Why here
- In the middle. At 16 in it is the step between moor grass 'Greenlee' (12 in) in front and log fern (3½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- A step in the back row. Next to log fern (3½ ft) and turtlehead 'Hot Lips' (3 ft): no two neighbours there are the same height, so the back steps up and down like a skyline.
- 3 plants in one group. Massed, one kind reads as a single shape. Scattered, it would look spotty.
Why now
- In flower for 9 weeks. From early March to late April.
- Fills a gap. For six of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
- The only leaves in winter. From November to March it is what there is to look at.
Planned as an English border: 6 of the 7 groups (86%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. The flowering year starts with double snowdrop in early February and ends with hardy cyclamen in mid October. The most in flower at one time is 3 kinds, from mid August.
The planner's own design check: 15 Excellent, 2 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where hellebore 'Ivory Prince' goes in a border
At 16 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
The outward-facing flowers are its great advantage: you can see them without kneeling. Sterile, so it flowers for three months and does not seed.
- Late-winter flowers that can be seen
- Evergreen foliage for shade
- Containers by a door
What to plant with hellebore 'Ivory Prince'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Snowdrop: in flower together for four weeks, from early March; fine leaves against its bold ones; low enough (6 in) to stand in front of it.
- Japanese forest grass: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; fine leaves against its bold ones.
- Autumn fern: its dark green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; medium leaves against its bold ones.
Questions about hellebore 'Ivory Prince'
Does hellebore 'Ivory Prince' need sun or shade?
Hellebore 'Ivory Prince' grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does hellebore 'Ivory Prince' grow in?
USDA zones 4 to 9. It is hardy to zone 4, which means it survives winter nights down to about −20 °F (−29 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does hellebore 'Ivory Prince' flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early March to late April. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 4 | Early March to early May |
|---|---|
| Zone 5 | Early March to late April |
| Zone 6 | Late February to mid April |
| Zone 7 | Mid February to mid April |
| Zone 8 | Early February to early April |
| Zone 9 | Early February to late March |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should hellebore 'Ivory Prince' be planted?
18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 16 in (40 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many hellebore 'Ivory Prince' plants do I need?
At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.
Is hellebore 'Ivory Prince' poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: moderate toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts are poisonous if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin. Wear gloves when cutting it back.
Rated from the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Is there a pet-safe plant like hellebore 'Ivory Prince'?
These come closest to doing what hellebore 'Ivory Prince' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Coral bells 'Berry Smoothie': the same job in a bed and the same size; grown for its leaves, not its flowers, not evergreen.
- Brunnera 'Looking Glass': the same job in a bed and the same size; flowers late April to late May, blue, not cream.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
What flowers after hellebore 'Ivory Prince'?
Hellebore 'Ivory Prince' is over by late April. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Lily of the valley: from early May to late May, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Sweet woodruff: from early May to early June, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
- Bugleweed: from early May to late May, 6 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
What does hellebore 'Ivory Prince' look like in winter?
Hellebore 'Ivory Prince' keeps its blue-green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone. It is grown for late-winter flowers that can be seen as well.
More Helleborus
- Christmas rose Helleborus niger
- Christmas rose 'Jacob' Helleborus niger 'HGC Jacob'
- Corsican hellebore Helleborus argutifolius
- Hellebore 'Pink Frost' Helleborus 'HGC Pink Frost'
- Lenten rose Helleborus x hybridus
- Stinking hellebore Helleborus foetidus
In these guides
- Garden plants toxic to cats
- Garden plants toxic to dogs
- Evergreen perennials, ferns and grasses
- The first flowers of spring
Zone guides: Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 16 in (40 cm) tall, 24 in (60 cm) wide
- Plant
- 18 in (45 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Early March to late April; open bowls; cream, pink, green
- Leaves
- Bold texture, evergreen; blue-green
- Shape
- Mounding, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 4 to 9
- Light
- Part sun, part shade, shade
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
Checked against ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.