Stinking hellebore or Christmas rose: how to tell them apart?
Stinking hellebore and Christmas rose look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Stinking hellebore
Helleborus foetidus
Christmas rose
Helleborus niger
The Christmas rose has large solitary white flowers opening at ground level in midwinter, whereas stinking hellebore bears many small pale green bells edged with purple and gives off an unpleasant smell when crushed.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, digitate, dark green, giving off an unpleasant smell when crushed
Evergreen, leathery, palmate, glossy dark green
🌸 Flowers
Pale green bells edged with purple, in drooping racemes
Large white flowers with a centre of yellow stamens, turning pink with age
🍎 Fruits
Clustered follicles
Clustered follicles containing several seeds
🪵 Bark
Upright stems woody at the base, leafy along their whole length
Short rootstock, upright leafless flower stems
📏 Size
40 to 80 cm tall
20 to 30 cm tall
🗺️ Habitat
Woodland, banks, dry gardens, chalky soils
Woodland, shady gardens, cool chalky soils
⚠️ Toxicity
Toxic in all its parts (cardiotonic glycosides); eating it may cause serious digestive and cardiac disorders.
Toxic in all its parts (cardiotonic glycosides); eating it may cause serious digestive and cardiac disorders.
🔎 And from the Christmas rose side
The Christmas rose has large solitary white flowers opening at ground level in midwinter, whereas stinking hellebore bears many small pale green bells edged with purple and gives off an unpleasant smell when crushed.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.