Christmas rose

American  

[kris-muhs rohz] / ˈkrɪs məs ˌroʊz /

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.

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Christmas rose British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of Christmas rose

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

But Hermione raised her wand, moved it in a circle through the air, and a wreath of Christmas roses blossomed before them.

From Literature