It is not looking like we will have a white Christmas this year. This December has been colder than normal. What is normal you might ask? A fair question and usually December in RI is moderate with normal highs around 42 F and lows around 26 F. I know moderate is a relative term but New England winters, once they arrive, can be as dismal as the frozen tundra with little of interest in the landscape except the pattern of animal tracks in the snow. On the 9th of December the low was 4F in my garden. In spite of these cold temperatures, there is one plant in the garden which has buds. 
A flash of white caught my eye during a recent morning walk and upon close examination, this hellebore, nestled in the dried oak leaves, was shining brightly. I know they will open on a warm day but for now they rest in suspended animation waiting for warmth that may never arrive. It is living up to its common name, The Christmas Rose, Helleborus niger. The common name is associated with a folk legend about a girl who had no gift for the Christ child and her tears sprouted in the snow as a flower. Hellebores are not members of the rose family but of the Ranunculacae or buttercup family and there are over twenty species with countless cultivars on the market. The species name, niger, refers to the plant's black roots. I am not going to dig mine up to check this fact. Some species of hellebores are quite toxic although H. niger is not too 'wicked'. Cornell has a great article on hellebores here should you wish more information. The foliage is evergreen although by springtime it will be tattered and torn and require snipping back to make room for newly emerging, fresh foliage. 
I have several hellebores and all are hybrids but this is the only one blooming. I am calling it blooming even though the flowers are not unfurled. If this were blooming in June would I have even noticed its small white flowers? In the darkness of December, it is a welcome little beacon.
