Christmas rose

Christmas rose or hellebore, belongs to the buttercup family, and during the Siege of Kirrha in 585 BC, hellebore was reportedly used by the Greek besiegers unchristianly to poison the city’s water supply. The defenders were subsequently so weakened by diarrhea that they were unable to defend the city from assault. Hellebore derives from hellein – kill and bora – food. Romans had helleborosus – someone on a helleborus diet, mad that is.

happy advent season….