How to Propagate Lenten Roses

Lenten roses (Hellebore) aren’t roses, but belong to the Buttercup family. They’re perennials that bloom in late winter to early spring and are ideal ground cover for shady areas. Their maximum height is 2 feet and they spread just as wide. This plant grows with a clumping habit and seedlings appear next to it, sprouting from the plant’s rhizome. Dig a established plant to divide the clumps and start a new Lenten rose bed elsewhere in the spring.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Shovel
• Organic matter
• Rake
• Spade
• Water

1. Prepare a shady site for you to plant your Lenten rose clump. Incorporate 2 inches of organic matter, such as compost or manure, into the soil and rake the area to make a smooth surface.

2. Loosen the soil around the established Lenten rose with a spade. As you work your way around the plant’s base, keep digging deeper until you reach below the root system. Pull the plant out and place it on the soil surface.

3. Use your spade’s blade to separate a clump off the main plant. Cut through the rhizome, taking a piece that has roots growing from it.

4. Dig a hole in the site you prepared that’s as deep as the one the main plant has been growing in.

5. Plant your Lenten rose clump in the hole. Backfill it with topsoil and water the transplant immediately. Replant the main Lenten rose in its original location.