Is the Lenten Rose - Hellebore toxic?

Here is a reply I wrote responding to a question I've gotten more than once.  

Is the Lenten Rose toxic.  

First, as the great philosopher Aristotle once wrote: 'Define your terms'.  The Lenten Rose is the common name of our hero plant coming in a vast array of colors ranging from white to deep plum. Its' botanical name is Helleborus Orientalis and is indeed the mother of all the other hybrid hellebores that have been given names and guaranteed characteristics.  All falling under the Hellebore family of flowering shade perennials

Hi Sorin, 

Just a note about the toxicity of the plant. It is true, sort of. In my early Lenten Rose days (some 20 years ago) I looked into this pretty extensively. I found everything from folk lore to a paper written from a major University (it might have been from southern California.....just cant remember) 

Starting with the folk lore, it has been said that Alexander the Great died from an over dose of Hellebore and loosely translated Helleborus means 'food of the Beast'. In the days before modern medicine the hellebore tincture was a staple in every good Apothecary's bag. So indeed, there was a medicinal value to the hellebore plant and like many medicines, used improperly it can be toxic. I think the hellebore remedy was used to treat anxiety and stress related illness but its hard to find this type of homeopathic information in today's pharmacological world. Ugh.

The study I read talk about how several cattle from a mans herd had died. Their belly's were severely swollen. Investigation revealed that they had eaten hellebore plants.

Now from my own experience, and what may alert, even alarm, some people/gardeners is the affect the tough serrated leaves can have on your skin. After the flowers drop their seeds, the growth of new leaf foliage that follows, which is designed to lovingly protect and shade the fallen seed throughout the summer and early fall becomes very serrated and quite prickly. I know because during our seed harvest we spend a lot of time with our hands ruffling through our plants in search of mature seed and boy, if you are not wearing long sleeves your forearms will be dotted with little prickle marks - it's kind of creepy if you don't realize it's happening but there is no toxic affect. none.

So, I would not eat the plant but there is not, in any way, any danger in handling them.  Just look, I've grown 10's of thousands of them in earnest for over 20 years and I can tell you that as beautiful as they are,  I have never been tempted to eat one. :-) 

Hope this helps, thanks for finding me & 

Happy Gardening

Richard Giardini

Lenten Rose.com

706-215-1561