How long have you had them and where are they planted? Perhaps they are recovering from shipping. I'm also in zone 6, in southeastern Pa. Right now my plants are not doing active growing. They send up the new leaves in the spring. I have loads of seedlings with only one set of true leaves. All of my seedlings are outside where they will get lots of morning sun.

If you go through the archives, you will see that some people bring their hellebore babies inside during the winter to speed their growth. I leave mine outside with leaf mulch to protect them. But in the summer, they belong outside. Well, at least that is my opinon as your next door neighbor! You must be patient with hellebores.

Hellebores generally grow in the spring and fall, and stand there looking beautiful in the summer and winter. They are very slow growing. Yours are establishing themselves and growing roots, and will probably put out a new set of leaves in the cool fall weather.

Put them outside where they belong!

As long as they are green, you're fine. Patience is rewarded by a very long life of year-round beauty.

Laura

I was relieved to read this thread. I am a total newbie to hellebores, and a friend gave me six tiny plants to put in the ground in late spring. Since then, they have done nothing. Bupkus!! However, they aren't dying either, and seem healthy even though they are inactive. They are in relatively heavy shade in soil that's been getting amended for years, but do get about 2-3 hours of morning sun. Anyway, it's good to know they don't really grow in summer, so hopefully there's no need to worry.

emmi,

There is certainly no need to worry or bring them indoors. But, if you did bring them indoors (in summer) and gave them ideal conditions they would continue to slowly put out new leaves, so that it would be possible to bloom a young seedling in a year or two. Many plants do not need rest and can be coaxed to continue active growth at any time of year, but of course that's more effort. ;-)

Joseph