Helleborus foetidus

Helleborus foetidus - translation from the Latin is Stinking Hellebore.  Horrible name, I think.  The smell, luckily is only evident when you bruise the foliage or are down at ground level.  It is an odd one as Hellebores go, with green flowers and very different foliage.  On all but the very coldest of winters it is the first Hellebore to bloom here.  The buds form in late fall and hold through the winter.  They open any time between January and March and are quite lovely.  In a sheltered place, by a south facing wall, they will bloom earlier and be less likely to be damaged by severe cold.  They self seed, but not nearly so much as other hellebores.  They are easily weeded out or transplanted in early spring if you get too many in one spot.  The first photos is what they looked like yesterday, the second one what they will look like once the buds open.