Hellebores are prized for their flowers which appear in late winter or early spring and are often the first flowers to appear in the Chicago garden. peppermint Ruffles hellebore grows into a low mound about 2 feet high and 2 feet wide. The foliage is dark green with finger-like clusters of up to ten serrated leaflets which are evergreen throughout the winter except in extremely cold locations. Peppermint Ruffles is a prolific bloomer of three inch double flowers that are a crisp white with magenta edging and veining.

Hellebores prefer cool, moist soils with a high organic content but are very adaptable requiring only that the site be well-drained. Typically they are planted in woodland settings under deciduous trees where they receive full sun in winter and early spring but are protected in hotter months. The entire plant contains chemicals that are toxic to humans but makes them unappealing to deer and other wildlife. Choose your site carefully as hellebores do not like be moved or disturbed once planted.