




🌸 Pale-pink double flowers marbled with bright pink • 🎨 Speckled with purple as they mature • 📅 Flowering from February to April • 🌘 Partial shade to shade • ❄️ Hardy down to -34 °C • 🌿 Evergreen foliage
Helleborus orientalis 'Double Ellen Pink' is a double-flowered Lenten rose from the Double Ellen® series, bred by Ellen Akerboom at the Nachtvlinder nursery in Ter Aar. A European horticultural selection (the Netherlands), it is the most nuanced of the plants for growing in partial shade in the catalog, with flowers that change appearance throughout the blooming period.
Its flowers open very pale pink, almost white, marbled and dotted with bright pink. As they mature, the background takes on a deeper pastel pink, dominated by purple speckles. They bloom from February to late April on upright stems 30 to 35 cm tall.
Which hellebore should you choose?
Nine hellebores in the catalog, taking turns throughout the winter:
- Lenten rose 'Double Ellen Pink' (this plant) — pale-pink double flowers speckled with purple, from February to April. The most nuanced.
- Christmas rose 'Christmas Carol' — pure-white single flowers, from late October to March. The earliest.
- Christmas rose 'Diamonfire' — cream-white and green single flowers with dusty-pink highlights, from December to March. The most vigorous, in clusters on red stems.
- Hellebore 'Angel Glow' — frosted-pink single flowers that turn deep pink and green, from December to March. The flowers with the most changing hues.
- Lenten rose 'Dacaya' — medium-pink single flowers streaked with burgundy, from February to April. The most free-flowering, delivered as a large clump.
- Lenten rose 'Double Ellen White' — snow-white double flowers, from February to April. The brightest in the shade.
- Lenten rose 'Double Ellen Red' — burgundy-purple double flowers, from February to April. The most intense.
- Majorcan hellebore 'Purple Marble' — single cream-green flowers washed with purple, from January to April. Blue-green foliage marbled with cream.
- Silver hellebore 'Silver Dollar' — single cream-green flowers with a yellow center, from February to April. The most silvery foliage.
Christmas roses and Lenten roses, such as Angel Glow, tolerate intense cold; hellebores with marbled or silvery foliage are chosen for a sheltered balcony.
Light & location
The Lenten rose comes from woodlands: it likes soft light, tolerates deep shade, and above all dislikes the scorching summer sun on its foliage.
- Exposure: partial shade or shade, with filtered light ideal.
- Location: at the foot of a tree, against a north-facing wall, in a shady courtyard, or along a terrace border.
- Hardiness in a pot: down to -34 °C — it stays outdoors all winter.
- Soil type: moist, humus-rich and well-drained, neutral to alkaline.
To enjoy its speckles, place it at eye level: on a low wall, a step, or in a raised pot.
Watering & care
Hellebores like cool conditions without excess: testing the substrate with your finger before watering helps avoid mistakes, while browning leaf edges in summer indicate a lack of water or excessive sun.
- Watering: moderate — keep the substrate moist in spring and summer, and greatly reduce watering in winter.
- Water: tap water is suitable.
- Fertilizer: apply organic fertilizer in autumn.
- Pruning: cut old leaves at the base in December-January, before the buds emerge.
- Repotting: rarely — hellebores settle in for years and do not like being moved.
Wear gloves when pruning: hellebore sap can irritate the skin.
Decor ideas & plant combinations
Its powder-pink color softens shady corners in late winter and complements fine foliage, especially on a balcony with little sun.
- For a woodland composition, pair it with a Korean rock fern — the same exposure, and its fine, evergreen foliage takes over after flowering.
- For a winter pink palette, place a 'Eve Price' laurustinus — its bright pink buds and pale pink flowers exactly match the hellebore's colors, at shrub height.
- To brighten the base, plant a Carex 'Ice Dance' at the edge of the pot — its cream margin echoes the pale background of the flowers.
- To enhance the pot, choose the Capi Nature Groove taupe pot — a warm, neutral shade that complements the pink without overpowering it.
Cut and floated in a bowl of water, the speckled double flowers are best viewed up close and last for several days.
Verdeia tips
- Remove old leaves in January: they hide the buds and may carry black spots. Cut at the base, they allow the flowers to bloom unobstructed.
- Let the flowers mature: after a few weeks, the pink becomes deeper and the purple speckles stand out. The flowers remain decorative for a long time after opening.
- Give it as a late-winter gift: longer-lasting than a bouquet, it flowers again every year. There is a plant for every occasion among our gift plants.
Technical specifications
- Botanical name: Helleborus orientalis 'Double Ellen Pink'
- Common name: Lenten rose, Oriental hellebore
- Family: Ranunculaceae
- Origin: horticultural selection from Europe (the Netherlands)
- Delivery dimensions: H35 cm | Pot Ø14 cm
- Growth habit: upright clump
- Mature height: 30 to 35 cm
- Flowering: from February to the end of April, double pale pink flowers speckled with purple
- Exposure: partial shade to shade
- Watering: moderate, without excess
- Soil type: moist, humus-rich and well-drained, neutral to alkaline
- Hardiness: down to -34 °C
- Foliage: evergreen, dark green and leathery
- Care: easy
- Toxicity: toxic if ingested by animals and children; all parts of the plant are toxic
- Decorative style: Cottage garden / Woodland / Terrace
Each plant is unique: the number of flowering stems and the density of the speckles naturally vary according to the season and growing conditions.
Your plant, delivered with care
Every plant is hand-packed in a box specially designed for plants — secured, protected, ready to travel. It arrives in perfect condition, roots intact and foliage preserved, ready to take its place in your home.
Our Verdeia commitments
FAQ – Everything to know before adopting your Verdeia plant
How are my plants prepared before shipping?
All our plants are selected from our European partner nurseries. Before shipping, they are watered, cleaned, and protected with breathable, secure packaging. Each package is designed to ensure your plant arrives in perfect health, without any transport-related stress.
Will the plant look exactly like the photo?
The photos accurately represent the variety and the stated size. Since each plant is unique, slight differences in shape, foliage, or color may occur — and that’s part of their charm.
What are the delivery times and conditions?
Orders ship within 48 working hours, with tracked delivery in 2 to 5 working days via DPD. Shipping costs and the free-shipping threshold depend on your country — see our delivery page. You receive a tracking link as soon as your parcel leaves.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
Open your package as soon as you receive it and carefully remove the plant from its packaging. Let it acclimate for 24 hours in its new environment before watering. If it has been slightly stressed during transport, it will recover its shape after one or two days in the light.
What should I do if my plant arrives damaged?
Contact us within 48 hours with a photo of the issue. Our team will assess the situation and offer you the best solution: replacement, partial refund, or recovery advice.
Can I return a plant?
Since plants are living beings, standard returns are not possible. However, we guarantee good health upon delivery: if the plant arrives damaged, it will be replaced free of charge. For any other cases (order error, decorative pot, accessory), returns are possible within 14 days.

