Hellebores

Hellebores are herbaceous flowering plants which may also be called “winter rose”, “Lenten rose”, and “Christmas rose”. However, they belong to the family Ranunculaceae which is quite far from Rosaceae, the family of roses. Many hellebores are poisonous as depicted by its Greek origin, “helleboros” which is from “helein”, translating to “to injure” and “bora” meaning “food." In various times and places hellebores have been used successfully as poisons when added to food or drink.. They are also grown as ornamental plants and valued for their evergreen and frost-resistant qualities. Hellebore species may have green, maroon, white, or pink flowers.