8/9/2023 0 Comments Bleeding heart plant![]() ![]() ![]() We might be seeing it pop up in March in some warmer areas with our mild winter! The grassy foliage quickly grows into a floppy plant loaded with heart-shaped flowers. Dicentra spectabilis appears in early spring as soon as the ground thaws. The flower shape is a dead give away to its common name, bleeding hearts. Its red, pink or white colored flowers hang down from 3 to 4 foot tall plants from cascading branches. This early spring perennial flower hails from Japan, but made its first appearance in the United States in the 1800s as a Valentines Day gift. It has unique cut leaves and pink flowers on 1-foot tall plants.Įxcerpted from my book, New England Getting Started Garden Guide. “Fringed” bleeding heart is a different species ( D. “Golden Heart” has pink flowers with unusual yellow-green, lobed foliage. “King of Hearts” is an old fashioned type with long sprays of pink flowers and blue-green foliage. Bleeding heart flower stalks also make nice additions to a spring cut flower arrangements with forget-me-not and dwarf iris. ![]() Grow bleeding hearts near spreading perennials, such as lungwort, that will fill in the area once it dies back or plant shade loving annuals, such as begonias, in that spot. Plant bleeding hearts also in a shade garden, plant near ferns, coral bells, hosta, and astilbe. Grow bleeding hearts in a woodland setting with other wildflowers, such as trout lilies and trillium. Dig up the whole plant, separate out 1-foot wide sections with a sharp spade and replant in compost-amended soil in similar location. Bleeding hearts can grow too large for a space, so every 2 to 3 years divide the plants after flowering to keep them in bounds and to share with others. Mark the spot where your bleeding heart is growing so you don’t accidentally dig it up in summer or fall when planting annuals or bulbs. Once the foliage starts yellowing I like to cut the whole plant back to the ground. Add a layer of compost in spring for fertilizer.Īfter flowering is finished, deadhead flower stalks to tidy up the plant. Grow bleeding hearts in a consistently moist, humus-rich soil. Space plants 1 to 2 feet apart.īleeding hearts need little maintenance. Plant in spring to early summer in part sun or part shade on well-drained, moist soil. It’s good to plant bleeding hearts where other perennials will fill in after it dies.Īlthough you can start bleeding hearts from seed, it’s easiest to take divisions from a friend’s plant, transplant self-sown seedlings in the garden or purchase transplants from a local garden center. After flowering, they slowly die back and go dormant so that by mid summer there’s no sign of your bleeding hearts. ![]() The plant can actually get quite large when mature. They grow best in part sun or shade adding brightness to a woodland planting or shade garden. The flowers form on stalks in spring about the time late flowering Hellebores bloom. The plant has fern-like or lobed leaves, depending on the variety. At the bottom of each flower is a colored “drop” that refers to the common name. This eastern United State native plant is a beauty in spring with its characteristic heart-shaped flowers that come in red, pink or white. Learn about grow bleeding heart plants including information on varieties. ![]()
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