Bleeding Heart Flower

Bleeding Heart Flower does best in dappled shade as well as full shade. They are generally early bloomers and have a wonderful soft, lacy foliage.

The blossoms are pink and rose pink with white tips. The hearts hang from the horizontal branches.

The foliage will span 30 to 36 inches wide.

The Bleeding Heart Flower is a flower for a shade garden, as sun will burn the leaves.

They like a rich, moist well drained soil. Beautiful foliage makes a wonderful addition to your shade garden.

The foliage will last quite a while if the plant is kept cool and moist. This has been a popular perennial garden plant for generations. There are, generally speaking, two main varieties of bleeding heart flower, Dicentra spectabilis and D. eximia or D. Formosa.

Dicentra spectabilis

The common varieties of Dicentra spectabilis have beautiful pink blossoms that most of all remember from our childhoods, in our grandparents' gardens.

There is also a species with interesting white flowers, but this seems to be a little bit less common.

Then there is a version with gold leaves, but these are less popular as the plant is quite delicate – it is easily damaged and moreover, grows rather slowly in the first place. Obviously, it is not as favored by gardeners and nurseries.

Generally speaking, the Dicentra spectabilis varieties of bleeding hearts are the original ones that we are all familiar with.

They grow just about three to four feet tall and tend to blossom at the beginning of spring, continuing to bloom for about a month.

D. Eximia and D. Formosa

These are hybrid varieties and one of the most popular versions of these has luxurious pinkish red flowers. There exist varieties with white flowers, of course, and then there are the more obscure hybrids with more exotic characteristics, such as blue tinged leaves.

These varieties tend to grow just about a foot tall or about a foot and a half at the most. On the other hand, if properly cared for by a conscientious gardener, will tend to blossom all through the summer.

Care of the bleeding heart plant

Remember that this plant does best in the shade. This is quite hardy plant and quite resistant to sunlight. It will not die or dry out if you plant it in the sun.

Instead, what will happen is that as you advance into the middle of summer and the sun gets hotter, bleeding heart plant simply stops blossoming for the rest of the summer.

Of course, you will see the flowers again the next spring, but if you want bleeding heart to blossom all through the summer and brighten your garden with its delightful blooms, then you must plant it either in full shade or in partially shady conditions, such as in the shade of a tree or a house. Under these conditions the plant will flourish and flower all summer long.

Soil

When growing bleeding heart flower, remember that it requires not only soil that is extremely fertile, but also well drained.

Remember bleeding heart plant once originated in shade woodlands, in soils full of organic matter such as decaying leaves, and thus highly fertile.

The most obvious way to supply this requirement of these plants is to supply it with a few shovels of compost.

Put the compost all about the base of this plant, and make sure you do this every spring, and your plant will always be healthy.

Watering

Ensure that you water regularly and well, though not turning the soil around the plant into a swamp.

Propagation

This is done by division, and is best carried out very early in spring. It will, if kept healthy, propagate itself as well.

Bleeding Heart - Aurora	Bleeding Heart - Luxuriant	Bleeding Heart - Specatabilis
Bleeding Heart - Specatabilis Alba	Bleeding Heart - Goldheart	Bleeding Heart - Specatabilis
Bleeding Heart - Burning Hearts	Bleeding Heart - Candy Hearts	Bleeding Heart - Ivory Hearts

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