what is happening to my hellebore? - Ask Extension
Some of the leaves on my hellebore have turned brown and some of the stalks (not necessarily with brown on leaves) have flopped to the ground. When I ...
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what is happening to my hellebore? #807117
Asked August 19, 2022, 6:34 PM EDT
Some of the leaves on my hellebore have turned brown and some of the stalks (not necessarily with brown on leaves) have flopped to the ground. When I try to lift the stalks up, they detach easily and lift out of the soil. I have my suspicions as to what this might be and dug the plant up. There was a bit of mushy, whitish, stinky rhizome that I forgot to get a photo of. I have attached a photo of the affected plant parts. What is happening to my hellebore? Is it doomed? There is a second hellebore next to the one I dug up.
Howard County Maryland
Expert Response
This sounds like either Southern Blight or Rhizoctonia, both of which are fungal diseases which can be fairly common by the end of summer, especially in wet years or in over-irrigated plantings. The foul smell could be due to bacteria taking advantage of the already-dead or dying roots or stems.
There are no pesticides which would be useful at this point, so all you can do is to remove the dying growth and reduce any mulch used around their base, if applicable. If the Hellebore crowns (where above-ground growth emerges from the roots) and roots are still alive, they may resprout, either soon or next spring. If their roots pull up easily, though, then rot has set in and the entire root ball (what's left of it) should also be removed.
If you need to irrigate the yard when rains are lacking, only water when the soil feels fairly dry several inches deep. If there is a drainage issue, such as from an influx of moisture from a nearby roof downspout outlet, see if you can re-direct it away from this planting. If the bed continues to stay damp, though, other perennials might be more suitable to those conditions. If instead the moisture is only a temporary issue due to weather patterns, the problem might not recur next year.
Miri
There are no pesticides which would be useful at this point, so all you can do is to remove the dying growth and reduce any mulch used around their base, if applicable. If the Hellebore crowns (where above-ground growth emerges from the roots) and roots are still alive, they may resprout, either soon or next spring. If their roots pull up easily, though, then rot has set in and the entire root ball (what's left of it) should also be removed.
If you need to irrigate the yard when rains are lacking, only water when the soil feels fairly dry several inches deep. If there is a drainage issue, such as from an influx of moisture from a nearby roof downspout outlet, see if you can re-direct it away from this planting. If the bed continues to stay damp, though, other perennials might be more suitable to those conditions. If instead the moisture is only a temporary issue due to weather patterns, the problem might not recur next year.
Miri
