Glossy evergreen leaves to 16" across; 7-9 segmented (elliptic-oblong). Three inch cream colored flowers appear in February and persist for months, eventually fading to brown. A very poisonous genus, HELLEBORES have been used as diuretics and purgatives, but now is used mainly in homeopathy. Contact with roots can cause skin irritation. Clump forming perennial that prefers damp soil rich in organic material and dappled shade.