White False Hellebore
Veratrum album
- Native to:
- Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Czechia-Slovakia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Ukraine, United States
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Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Melanthiaceae
- Genus:
- Veratrum
- Species:
- Veratrum album
- USDA Symbol:
- VEAL3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 175 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- white, green
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, moist, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers calcareous soils in alpine meadows
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–180 days
- Notes:
- Germination can be slow and erratic; seeds require cold stratification and may take multiple seasons to emerge.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.
Source: Claude AI
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Requires soaking. Place in warm water until seeds swell, usually 24-48 hours. Discard water and any seeds that remain floating. * seed very poisonous, wash hands after handling, 20°C x 4 weeks, then -7°C x 6 weeks, then 10°C