Helleborus x hybridus 'Pine Knot Variegated'
25th April 2010
A very distinctive seed strain raised by Pine Knot Farms in Virginia, USA. I was overjoyed to get hold of a couple of plants of this strain in 2007
which is reported to breed reasonably true. Neither of my plants is as brightly variegated as I would like, but they both have potential.
I am cheerfully and unapologetically fond of variegated plants though they are not universally loved. Variegated Hellebores expose the problem perfectly.
The variegation is completely unnecessary and can cause deep offence. There is a special class of truly lovely people who waft through gardens on a cloud of elegance
and turn purple with apoplexy when they see them. It's a marvellous sport and quite harmless, like watching the dejected expression a grubby teddybear
in a washing machine. Sad eyes and bubbles of betrayal.
So far the flowers on the strain are rather ordinary and the variegation is a little unpredictable, but both will improve as long as the grandees
of hybrid haute couture can be deflected from helleboricide.
7th February 2014