The Christmas Rose is a total winter superstar. Even when there’s ice and snow on the ground, this hardy plant pushes its beautiful white, cup-shaped flowers toward the light—usually right around the holidays. While you can still find wild varieties growing in the mountains of Bavaria, the perennials we love for our gardens have been specially bred to give us a huge range of stunning options.
Variety for Your Garden
When it comes to garden varieties of the Christmas Rose, the biggest differences are in the colors. While classic white is the most common, you’ll now find gorgeous shades of pink and lavender, too. A cool thing to watch for: as the blooming season winds down, the petals often take on a soft reddish tint. Another thing to keep in mind is the timing. While we all want them in bloom for Christmas, some varieties actually wait until a bit later in the winter to show off.
Popular Varieties
There are tons of choices out there, but here are a few fan favorites that really stand out:
- ‘Praecox’: Blooms from November through late January. It’s a holiday decorating staple with pure white flowers and can live for a very long time if it’s happy in its spot.
- ‘Wintertraum JP’: Blooms December to February. The backs of the petals have a delicate pink hue, giving the whole flower a lovely rosy glow.
- ‘Joshua’: Starts blooming in mid-November with almost perfectly round white flowers.
- ‘Helleborus x glandorfii’: This is a cool hybrid crossed with a dark red Lenten Rose. It grows up to 16 inches tall and features striking red flowers that last until April.
- ‘HGC Snow Frills’: Starting in January, this one shows off beautiful double white blossoms.
- ‘Christmas Carol’: Features white flowers from January to March and stays compact at about 8 inches tall.
- ‘Double Fashion’: A stunning double white flower that starts in December. Bonus: this one can handle a bit more sun than others.
- ‘HGC Jacob Royal’: A reliable early bloomer with white flowers starting in November.
- ‘HGC Jericho’: Blooms white starting in December and reaches about 12 inches in height.
- ‘White Christmas’: Classic white cup-shaped flowers from December to February. This one is a fantastic choice for pots and containers.
What All Varieties Have in Common
If you find the perfect spot, your Christmas Rose will thrive for years, blooming prolifically every winter. The best part? They are incredibly low-maintenance. They actually prefer to be left alone—no need for hoeing or constant fussing. If you plant them under the protection of shrubs or trees, the fallen autumn leaves act as the perfect natural fertilizer. Most of the time, you won’t need to add any extra plant food at all. All varieties are very winter-hardy, though if you live in a particularly harsh climate, a little extra mulch can help protect them from deep freezes.
