Christmas rose

[ kris-muhs rohz ]

noun

1. a European hellebore, Helleborus niger, widely cultivated for its attractive and hardy evergreen leaves and white-to-purplish flowers that bloom in the winter: the entire Christmas rose plant is poisonous.

Christmas rose

noun

1. an evergreen ranunculaceous plant, Helleborus niger, of S Europe and W Asia, with white or pinkish winter-blooming flowers Also calledhelleborewinter rose

Word History and Origins

Origin of Christmas rose¹

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

Grocery sales over Christmas rose by 0.1% in the six weeks to 8 January, compared to the year before.

From BBC

Even in December, the garden bears flowers: Helleborus niger — Christmas roses — with their blowzy blossoms in faded Victorian shades of lavender and sage.

From New York Times

The wild Christmas rose, Helleborus niger, is a fussy garden plant and is even unhappier when confined to a pot.

From Washington Post

The death toll from a storm that struck the Philippines shortly after Christmas rose to 68 with the number of fatalities expected to climb even higher, civil defence officials said Monday.

From The Guardian

Harry’s dreams were confused and disturbing: Nagini wove in and out of them, first through a gigantic, cracked ring, then through a wreath of Christmas roses.

From Literature