Helleborus orientalis, the Lenten rose,[1] is a perennial flowering plant and species of hellebore in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, native to Greece and Turkey.

[2] This perennial reaches 28–45 cm (11–18 in) tall, with glossy green palmate leaves composed of 7–9 leaflets with serrated leaf margins.

The cup-shaped pendent flowers appear in late winter and spring, arising in groups of 1–4 on the ends of thick stems rising above the foliage.

[3] Sap coming into contact with the skin may cause temporary irritation, while ingestion of large quantities can cause burning of mouth and throat, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea.

[11] German planters began breeding H. orientalis in the mid-19th century, enhanced by new material from the Caucasus via St Petersburg Botanic Garden.