Bleeding heart is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial and is a member of the poppy family that also includes Dutchman’s breeches, and fumitory. It is native to Siberia, Japan, China, and Korea but widely grown as an ornamental elsewhere. Its light green leaves are compound and have three leaftlets. The one inch long flowers appear in mid- to late spring hanging on gracefully arching racemes. They consist of white inner petals that extend from rose colored outer petals and look like little hearts with a tear drop. If you turn one of the flowers upside down and pull back the outer petals you will understand why the plant is also called “lady in the bath’. A good choice for woodland and shade gardens. The genus name, Dicentra, comes from the Greek words dis meaning twice and kentron meaning spur and refers to the features of the flowers. The specific epithet, spectabilis, is the Latin word meaning showy, and refers to unique appearance of the flowers.
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Bloom: Arching racemes of pink and white heart-shaped flowers with tear-drop, in spring
Size: 18-36″
Light: Sun in North, part shade in South, depending on moisture
Soil: Average, consistently moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness: Zones 2-9
Care: Division after flowering in spring; root cuttings in very early spring
Pests and Diseases: Generally healthy but may be damaged by aphids, slugs, downy mildew and verticillium wilt
Propagation: Division after flowering in spring; root cuttings in very early spring; seed
Companion Plants: Hosta, ferns
Outstanding Selections:
‘Alba’ (all white flowers)
‘Gold Heart” (bright greenish golden foliage)
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Karen Meyers
[…] near an armillary sundial invite the visitor to sit and enjoy the surroundings with old fashioned bleeding heart bloom profusely in the area […]