The Christmas rose can be grown from seeds. However, this is much more complex than propagating by dividing the perennial. In a favorable location, the snow rose sows itself. To sow seeds in pots, you must collect seeds in good time.
How do I grow Christmas roses from seeds?
To grow Christmas roses from seeds, collect the seeds of the plant before opening the capsules and sow them immediately in special seed trays with good drainage. Since Christmas roses are cold germinators, they should be sown outdoors.
Christmas roses sow themselves
If the Christmas rose is not cut after flowering, seeds will ripen in the seed capsules. As soon as the capsules open, the seeds fall out and begin to germinate after a cold phase.
However, this only works well if the soil is as clayey as possible and contains enough lime. The snow rose develops very poorly on sandy soils.
To ensure that Christmas roses grow in the flowerbed, all you have to do is provide good planting substrate.
Collecting seeds from the Christmas rose
Collect the Christmas rose seeds before the capsules open. Cut off the dry capsules and place them in a plastic bag.
If you shake the bag and tap it gently, the seeds will fall out. They should be sown immediately.
Be sure to wear gloves when collecting snow rose seeds or sowing them later to protect the skin from the toxic substances.
How to sow the seeds correctly
The snow rose is a cold germinator. Without a longer cold period, the seeds will not germinate. Sowing must therefore take place outdoors.
Prepare a sowing tray (€13.00 on Amazon) into which you fill soil from the mother plant's bed. Ensure good drainage.
- Spread seeds thinly
- Only cover lightly with soil
- Pour carefully
- Separate after emergence
- Plant in pots or beds
It can take a while until the first flowering occurs
It can take a year for the Christmas rose to bloom for the first time. However, there is no guarantee that the new plants will have the same flower color as the mother plant.
Tips & Tricks
The Christmas rose is not only called the snow rose or Christmas rose, it is also called the hellebore. The reason for this is the ingredient helleborine, which causes sneezing when inhaled. Because of their toxicity, the seeds of the Christmas rose must not be used as sneezing powder.
