Bleeding Heart
BLEEDING HEART (Dicentra spectabilis)
A native of Japan, this beautiful delicate perennial produces arching branches with sprays of dangling heart-shaped flowers that are pink with white tips or solid white. The plant will bloom in the spring through summer and once established is relatively trouble-free. Bleeding heart is hardy to zone 3 and 4 and will tolerate the cold winters in Northern states.

Care
Bleeding heart can be planted in the spring or fall in moist, rich, well-drained soil and in semi-shade to shade. Plant it in an area where is gets direct sun early in the day and avoid the midday full sun, as that will cause the foliage to dieback prematurely. Maintain even moisture during the growing season. If needed place a layer of 1-2 inches of mulch around the plant away from the base to keep the soil evenly moist. When the hot summer sets in, the foliage will turn yellow, die back and go into summer dormancy.
Divide the plant in the spring every 5 years to reduce overcrowding and produce new plants. You can also divide in the fall after the foliage dies back. A mature plant will produce seeds making more give away plants.
Bleeding heart is relatively disease free except for wilt and stem rot caused by a fungus from growing in water-logged, wet soil.
All parts of this plant are poisonous.
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I’m trying to plant Bleeding Heart “bulbs". They look like dried up roots. I can’t tell “up from down!". Any clues?
Comment by Dixie — 4/19/2006 @ 6:19 am
I planted red and pink bleeding hearts last year and they came up white this year,do you know why
Comment by Cathy — 5/6/2006 @ 6:14 am
I would like to know if I put a Bleeding Heart in a large pot, will it do well?
Comment by Maggie Downing — 5/13/2006 @ 6:21 am
I have 3 huge bleeding heart plants on the side of my house that overgrown. If I cut them back, seperate them and transplant them elsewhere will the plants be smaller when they grow back the next year? When I dug on to share the plant it was all roots. can I take the roots cut them, plant them and have a full bloom the following year?
Comment by Dawn — 6/13/2006 @ 6:12 am
my bleeding heart is yellowing what can I do?
Comment by Jackie — 2/18/2007 @ 8:54 am
I’m trying to start a bleeding heart root in a terra cotta pot, unfortunately, I buried the whole root and did not leave the crown above the soil. Will it even grow now? It has only been in the pot a few days. Also, if I do leave it in the pot as is, how moist should the root be before it comes up?
Comment by Sadie — 2/22/2007 @ 11:14 am
I HAVE A BLEEDING HEART PLANT AND
IT WAS COMING ALONG GOOD UNTIL THE
FROST GOT TO IT. DO I CUT IT BACK, AND
WILL IT GROW THIS YEAR?
THANK YOU DEBBIE
Comment by Debbie Smit — 4/9/2007 @ 12:05 pm
What can I co-plant with my bleeding hearts that will come up when the plants die down in the summer?
Comment by Julia — 4/14/2007 @ 4:19 am
Can a bleeding heart be divided in spring once leaves are already up?
thanks!
Comment by Sue — 5/12/2007 @ 6:17 pm
I MOVED INTO A HOUSE THAT HAS A BLEEDING HEART THAT NOW( MID MAY) IS IN FULL BLOOM IT IS ABOUT 2 FEET TALL AND 3 FEET ROUND, WHAT IS DIVIDING? IT HAS TAKEN OVER THE AREA WHERE PLANTED AND I WOULD LIKE TO SPREAD IT AROUND I KNOW PRUNING WONT WORK SINCE IT DIED DOWN LAST YEAR AND COMES BACK BIGGER EACH YEAR
THANKS
M
Comment by mark — 5/16/2007 @ 3:52 am
Every time I try to transplant a piece of bleeding heart it dies. What am I doing wrong.
Comment by Rose — 5/23/2007 @ 1:38 pm
I just recently bought a bleeding heart with the fern like leaves and it was doing okay and now it looks like it has shrunk and is drying up. I need help because I don’t want to loose another one. Please help!
Thanks a bunch,
Cindy from KY>
Comment by Cindy Berry — 5/26/2007 @ 6:15 pm
My bleeding hearts are huge plants and though gradually yellowing, not dying back very quickly. The hostas and astilbe around them are somewhat buried by the foliage. Would it be OK to trim the bleeding heart foliage enough to get them more light?
Comment by Sharon Aleckson — 7/4/2007 @ 6:48 pm
I planted a white bleeding heart about 3 or 4 years ago. It always comes up, and grows bigger each year but has never had many blooms. Any suggestions? I live in Seattle and the plant gets very early morning sun and very late (6-8 pm) afternoon/evening sun. I have hostas, hardy fuschia, salamons seal, columbine, toad lilies, fox glove, and monks hood in the same garden. All do well.
Comment by Pamela — 9/24/2007 @ 6:40 pm
I have 2 bleeding heart bulbs to plant and they just look like dried up roots. I can’t tell where the crown is. Help!
Comment by Renee Cory — 10/7/2007 @ 6:57 pm
I live in RI and have a Bleeding Heart that is a georgous plant and the mother of many plants handed to many family and friends. We cut it back each yr when the leaves turn yellow and it comes back bigger and better each time. This past winter I brought home a piece of my mothers that came from FL. It’s different in that it has a more woody stem. I have planted it in a large pot and it has grown well all summer but I am not sure how to treat it for the winter. Since this plant came from FL and does not die back after flowering I don’t know if I should plant it in the ground and hope it makes it during our hard winters or should I bring it in the house or maybe our root cellar?
Comment by Julie Burdette — 10/9/2007 @ 11:30 am
I just recently found a small bleeding heart plant in an old flower bed beside my new house. I want to get it out of there and put it in a pot. How should I go about transplanting it?
Comment by Caitlin — 5/3/2008 @ 5:50 am