Hearts have traditionally been associated with the love, compassion, and sorrow of the Virgin Mary. The unique shape of bleeding heart’s flower which resembles a heart with a droplet falling from it, emphasizes the heartache and suffering Mary experienced in her life especially as she watched her son be crucified. Several key legends are associated with the Virgin Mary’s heart. The first is the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a symbol of her perfect love for God and humanity. It is often depicted as a heart pierced by one or seven swords representing the intense grief and fear she experienced in he life. The Seven Sorrows of Mary, a key concept in this legend, includes the prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34-35), the flight into Egypt, the loss of Jesus in the temple, and the crucifixion.
The prophecy of Simon gives details regarding one of the swords. Simon tells Mary “…This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Simons words may be interpreted as a spiritual piercing of Mary’s heart.
Another legend tells us that the tears shed by Mary as she wept at the food of the cross during Jesus’ crucifixion sprouted into plants bearing heart-shaped flowers with a droplet at the bottom. These flowers were thought to be representations of her grieving heart and emphasize the tenderness and love Mary had as a mother. Further, they suggest that Mary’s heart is a source of comfort and hope.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia; Chapel of the Sorrows in Salamanca, Spain, part of the church of the Holy Cross
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”.
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.
Bleeding hearts like average, consistently moist, well-drained soil in part shade to full shade in USDA Zones 2-9. They are intolerant of wet soils in winter and dry soils in summer. In the northern part of their range the plants can take some sun if moisture is adequate but in the southern part of their range the plants will usually go dormant in the summer so should be combined with plants that will cover up the bare spot they leave. Plants are generally healthy but may be damaged by slugs, aphids, downy mildew and verticillium wilt. Propagation is by division after flowering in spring, root cuttings in very early spring, and seed.