Helleborus viridis, commonly called green hellebore,[1][2] is a perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, native to Central and Western Europe, including England. All parts of the plant are poisonous.[3]
The green hellebore was one of the many plants first described by Linnaeus in volume one of his 1753 tenth edition of his Species Plantarum.[4] The species name is the Latin adjective viridis, "green". Two subspecies are recognised, subspecies viridis from Central Europe and the maritime Alps, and subspecies occidentalis from western Europe including England.[5]
Other common names recorded include bastard hellebore, bear's foot and boar's foot.[6]
Growing to around 60 cm (2 ft) high, the green hellebore is a perennial plant. The flowers appear in spring (February to April).[3] They have five large green oval sepals with pointed tips, and seven to twelve much smaller petals. The roots are rhizomatous.[7] Subspecies viridis has flowers of 4–5 cm diameter and leaves covered with fine hairs, while the flowers of subspecies occidentalis are smaller (3–4 cm diameter) and its leaves are smooth.[8]
The green hellebore is found in Western and Central Europe, east to eastern Austria and south to northern Italy.[5] It grows on limestone and chalk-based soils in the south of England.[3]
The green hellebore has become weedy in North America, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and northern Germany.[7]
Consumption of any part of the plant can lead to severe vomiting and seizures.[3] Its purgative properties meant that it was traditionally used as a folk remedy to treat worms in children and topically to treat lice.[3]
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