Veratrum nigrum

Plant Characteristics

Height:	⇕	1.5 m"m" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 1.5.
Width:	⇔	.6 m"m" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 0.6.
Poisonous:	☠	yes
Bloom:	❀	late summer, early fall

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	sun, part-sun
Minimum Temp:	☃	-25°C-13 °F <br />248.15 K <br />446.67 °R <br />
USDA Zones:		6

Scientific Names

Melanthiaceae >

Veratrum >

nigrum >

Veratrum nigrum (Black Hellebore ) is a medicinal plant and poisonous plant native to Asia and Europe^wp.

The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies)^pf.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil^pf.

Read about Veratrum nigrum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Veratrum nigrum, Linn. A hardy perennial often 2-4 ft. high, somewhat bulbous at the base: lower lvs. oblong, plicate, 1 ft. long, 6-8 in. wide, narrowed at the base; upper lvs. lanceolate: panicle narrow: fls. blackish purple; segms, oblong, obtuse. June. Eu., Asia. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

Requires a deep fertile moisture retentive humus-rich soil^RH. Succeeds in full sun if the soil does not dry out but prefers a position in semi-shade^RH. Dislikes dry soils⁴². Grows best in a cool woodland garden or a north facing border⁴². Plants are hardy to about -25°c¹⁸⁷, especially if they are given a protective mulch in the winter. The flowers smell of rotten fruit and are visited by flies¹⁸⁷. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer²³³. Plants are long-lived and can be left in the same position for years without attention²³³.

Propagation

Unless stored in damp sand at around 4°c the seed has a short viability^RH. Where possible it is best to sow the seed in a lightly shaded position in the greenhouse as soon as it is ripe^RH. Stored seed needs to be stratified but can be very slow to germinate. Germination can be erratic even for seed sown when it was fresh, it usually takes place within 3 - 12 months at 15°c but can be much longer^RH. The plant produces just one seedleaf in its first year, this forms an over-wintering bulb. It takes up to 10 years for the plant to reach maturity^RH. Sow the seed thinly so there is no need to thin or transplant them, and grow the seedlings on undisturbed in the pot for their first two years of growth. Apply a liquid feed at intervals through the growing season to ensure the plants do not become nutrient deficient. At the end of the second year plant out the dormant plants into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for a further year or two before planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Division in March/April or in October. Establish the plants in pots in a shaded frame before planting them out^RH. Division is best carried out in the autumn because the plants come into growth very early in the spring²³³. Root cuttings, 6mm long with a bud, rooted in a sandy soil in a cold frame^RH.

Gallery

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Veratrum nigrum. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Veratrum nigrum QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)