Bleeding Heart Plant Facts

Native to Asia, the Bleeding Heart plant, or Dicentra spectabilis, is an old-fashioned herbaceous perennial grown for its unusual heart shaped flowers, but it also has beautiful foliage. Bleeding Hearts thrive from growing zone 2 to 9. According to Dave’s Garden, all parts of this plant are poisonous and may cause skin irritation. Use caution when handling. The Bleeding Heart plant will add beauty and charm to your shade garden.

Flowers

• The flowers of the Bleeding Heart plant are heart-shaped with a small "drop of blood" at the bottom of the flower. These flowers blossom along graceful arching stems in early summer. Bleeding Heart flowers bloom in shades of pink or white. According to Yarder, cutting back spent flowers will encourage further blooms.

Foliage

• The foliage of the Bleeding Heart plant can be green or yellow and grows 2 to 3 feet tall. Depending on the variety, it can be lobed or fern-like. Bleeding Hearts are a deciduous plant; the foliage will die back in the summer after blooming but return the next spring. According to the University of Illinois, if the plant is receiving insufficient water, the foliage will also turn yellow and die back.

Water and Fertilizer

• Give your Bleeding Heart plant at least a half-inch of water every week, keeping the soil moist but not wet. Bleeding Hearts benefit from a thick layer of mulch to regulate the soil temperature and moisture. Fertilize your Bleeding Heart in the spring before the flowers emerge with a slow-release, general-purpose fertilizer. Water thoroughly after fertilizing to make sure the nutrients reach the roots.

Growing Conditions

• Bleeding Hearts thrive in partial or full shade and make a perfect specimen for your shade garden. The foliage will fade in the summer; for best results, plant with other evergreen, shade-loving perennials. The Bleeding Heart plant prefers consistently moist, but not wet, soil. The soil must drain well to prevent root rot. Amending the soil heavily with organic matter will improve drainage and add nutrients to the soil.

Varieties

• Fringed-Leaf Bleeding Heart is native to the American Northeast and has delicate fern-like foliage and bell-shaped flowers that bloom throughout the summer. Western Fringed-Leaf Bleeding Heart, or Dicentra formosa, is native to the Pacific Northwest and is more drought tolerant than other species of Bleeding Heart. Dicentra cucullaria, also known as Dutchman’s breeches, has white flowers and blooms in the spring above delicate foliage.