How to Grow Bleeding Heart Plant Care

Perennial, Dicenta Spectabilis

Bleeding Heart plants are both attractive plants and an attractive flower. While most shade loving plants are grown for their attractive foliage, you will love the colorful blooms of Bleeding Hearts, too.

Bleeding Heart plants are native to woodlands of the U.S. and Canada. They are shade loving plants, that grow and bloom best in cool weather.  The plants grow 1 to 3 feet, depending upon variety. Heart shaped flowers, with a showy stamen, bloom from spring to summer. The most common colors are pink and white. You may also find red, rose, yellow and purple.

Bleeding Hearts are deer resistant. But, Hummingbirds are attracted to them.

Blooms make nice cut flowers.

Other Names: This plant is also called the Valentine Flower.

Important: All parts of this plant are poisonous. They cause skin rash and irritation. They can be toxic in large quantities.Keep this plant away from children and pets.

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Plant Propagation:

Bleeding Hearts are propagated through rhizomes (their roots). They can be separated through division. Dig up rhizomes and separate. Make sure that each segment has an eye or two.

The flowers will produce seeds. But, few people grow them from seed. Propagating with rhizomes is much easier.

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Bleeding Heart Plant Care:

Bleeding Heart plants are easy to grow. The plants grow best in shade. They can be grown in the sun, in cooler areas. The soil should be rich, and well draining. They like consistently moist soil.

Fertilize plants regularly, especially if the soil is not rich. It is important to keep the soil moist, not wet or soggy.

Much around plants to help retain soil moisture.

The plants will bloom in the spring. In cooler areas, they may rebloom as summer nears. It is not uncommon for the plants to go dormant in mid summer heat.

After the first killing frost, cut back plants to 1 - 2 inches above the ground.

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