A Christmas or a Lenten Rose — Hellebore

Not a rose

Author’s photo

Hellebore is not a rose; it’s a member of the buttercup family. The flowers only look like roses. A belief that Hellebore sprung from the tears of a young girl who saw the Child Christ but had no gift to give him. She cried, and her tears blossomed into the Hellebore flowers.

The ancient Greeks used Hellebore successfully to poison a besieged city’s water supply to win battles.

All parts of this plant are poisonous, and gloves are highly recommended when handling this plant.

Hellebores bloom beautiful flowers from beneath the snow in the middle of the winter. Hope fits the Hellebore plant perfectly.

Author’s photo

We can hope and look forward to a beautiful Spring when it blooms in the middle of a dark winter. But maybe that’s why Hellebore has a home in our gardens.

Historically Hellebores were used for malicious purposes. But these days, we do not need to grow poisonous herbs like in ancient times.

Most peaceful folks in these times won’t use it to curse neighbors or poison a town as was prevalent in ancient times. Instead, we use it to find hope again in the darkness.

Author’s photo

Within each of us, there is an invincible summer; no matter how hard the world pushes against us, within us, there is something more substantial — something better, pushing right back.

You can find more information about these flowers below.

[embed]Helleborus niger - Wikipedia Helleborus niger , commonly called Christmas rose or black hellebore, is an evergreen perennial flowering plant in the…en.wikipedia.org

[embed]Helleborus orientalis - Wikipedia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Helleborus orientalis , the Lenten rose, is a perennial flowering plant and…en.wikipedia.org

Thank you, dear **JoAnn Ryan, for providing a home for my piece, [In Living Color](https://medium.com/in-living-color/submission-guidelines-for-in-living-color-2531a9ad6b8)**.