Flowers emerge in late winter or early spring, before the new leaves. They are borne in loose clusters of three or four on leafy stems that are up to 20 inches tall. After pollination, the sepals fade to pale green and last until the seeds are ripe. In early summer, sow fresh seeds as soon as they ripen and cover them lightly. Germination occurs in autumn after a few weeks of cool, moist stratification.
Seedlings bloom in two to three years.
Fragrant hellebore grows from thickened, slow-creeping rhizomes with thick, fleshy roots. Plants form substantial clumps of foliage up to 2 feet wide. Newly emerging leaves, clothed in silvery silken hairs, expand as the flowers fade. Each silky leaflet is toothed on the upper third of its length. Plants are evergreen, and the leaves often come through the winter unblemished.