Tag Archives: Dicentra

Flowering Bleeding Hearts Are a Sign of Spring

Bleeding hearts are beautiful spring blooming plants. They have green, fern-like leaves and nodding racemes of pendulous blossoms.

Each blossom looks like an earring or a puffy locket on a chain. The blossom is comprised of two outer rose-colored petals and the two inner white petals. If you turn the flower upside down and pull the rose petals apart you will see the lady in a bath. Lady-in-a-bath is another common name for this beautiful plant.

Bleeding heart is an herbaceous perennial that prefers moist soil, high in organic matter (think woodsy). Some shade is best, can be morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled light. With such delicate foliage, you would think that rabbits and deer would decimate bleeding hearts but neither seem interested in my Virginia garden.

These plants emerge in March and bloom in April and May. By June, the leaves have turned yellow and ratty and eventually the plant disappears. It becomes dormant in the summer. In order to prevent a gap in the garden, you can plant other herbaceous perennials such as hardy geraniums or hostas nearby or summer annuals in its place.

There are different cultivars on the market. ‘Alba’ has all white flowers against green foliage. ‘Gold Heart’ has yellow foliage that really brightens up a shady corner and ‘Valentine’ is striking with its cherry-red flowers and red-brown stems.

Try growing bleeding hearts. The plants are very easy to find at local garden centers but you can also dig and divide an established plant if you know someone who has one in their garden.

Bleeding Heart Blooming Early in March

A few years ago, a friend offered to give me the root of her bleeding heart plant she called Fred. This was in the fall but unfortunately it was some time before I could drive to her home. By the time I picked up Fred, the root was dry and hard. Continue reading

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: Bleeding Heart

Last fall, a friend gave me the root of her bleeding heart plant she called Fred. Unfortunately it was some time before I could get the root from her that by the time I did, it was very dry and hard. I soaked it in a tub of water for a day before I planted it. It was so desiccated, I did not think it would make it through the winter. But this spring I was pleasantly surprised by a tuft of foliage peeking through the soil. Fred is alive! Since March, Fred has produced beautiful fern-like leaves and nodding racemes of pendulous blossoms. Each blossom looks like an earring or a puffy locket on a chain and is actually comprised of two outer rose-colored petals and the two inner white petals. If you turn the flower upside down and pull the rose petals apart you will see the lady in a bath. Lady-in-a-bath is another moniker for bleeding heart.

Bleeding heart is an herbaceous perennial that prefers a woodsy environment with moist soil that is high in organic matter. Some shade is best, can be morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled light. With such delicate foliage, you would think that rabbits would decimate bleeding hearts but both rabbits and deer do not seem interested in this perennial. However, by June the leaves do get yellow and ratty and eventually the plant goes dormant as summer’s heat arrives. In order to prevent a gap in the garden, other herbaceous perennials such as hardy geraniums or hostas can grow to fill in the gap during the summer or annuals can be planted in its place.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is the 15th of each month.