Hellebore health - Ask Extension
Hi. My 3 year old hellebore continues to struggle at the perimeter of my maple tree. I suspect I need to move it but i'm wondering if is more that I s...
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Hellebore health #926049
Asked March 15, 2026, 6:23 AM EDT
Hi. My 3 year old hellebore continues to struggle at the perimeter of my maple tree. I suspect I need to move it but i'm wondering if is more that I should be doing to maintain its health. Last year, I amended it's soil with compost. But that didn't seem to do anything in terms of improving its growth.
The pink highlighted area is where it sits now. The sugar maple tree is on the left. A Linden is on the right. I have a few other varieties under a Honeylocust. They look a little healthier at 2 years old, but still not seeing much growth. Are all trees bad for them? Please let me know how to better care for them.
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Your plant has a hard time competing with tree roots, plus under trees the soil is dry shade. They are not easy to grow. If you can find an area more like partly shady, like the edge of a forest with moist, loose soil, your plant(s) shoud do better. The link is to the web site of a grower: https://northwestgardennursery.com/our-hellebores/culture/
