Q.Hellebores are dying. Leaves turn brown/black and then plant dies. Lots of rain this summer.
Is it Black Death? Should I pull them all up? They’ve grown beautifully and done well for 3 or 4 years. Now suddenly this! I live on the Chesapeake Bay where it is very humid. Land is low though plants are in raised beds. It has rained constantly this summer. I hate to lose them.
We’ve also had a problem with apple trees. Been told they had some sort of cedar disease. 3 large trees that were 35 years old have recently been cut down and destroyed. Could hellebore problem be related?
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Black death pathogen is spread by insects, unrelated to too much water. There is no cure and plants should be dug up and destroyed. It shows up in hybrid hellebores and mostly in nurseries, not home gardens. Yours could be a fungal issue, black spot, which is related to rainy weather. Try removing the leaves as they become infected.
https://hgic.clemson.edu/lenten-roses/
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/hellebore/hellebore-black-death.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/hellebore/hellebore-plant-problems.htm
