Seeds were transported from the Peruvian Andes to Spain in the 16th century, and the plants became popular in European gardens. Thomas Jefferson grew four-o'clocks at Monticello. I bet you wish you knew who brought them to Houston. A while back I read about hellebores, winter-blooming plants and longtime favorites in Europe. They're hearty, blooming four months from winter through late spring, and a good ground cover the rest of the year.
Hellebores seem to be gaining popularity, showing up on catalog covers and in garden magazines.
I have wanted to test these woodland perennials here for some time but have yet to do so. He could not say if the plants would hold up in our humid heat. Hellebores develop clumps up to 2 feet in height and 2 or 3 feet across. The exotic, delicate-looking flowers are winter bloomers. One species, in fact, is called the Christmas rose, another the Lenten rose.