How to Grow Bleeding Heart

The words 'bleeding heart' conjure up a powerful image. You've probably heard them used before in the phrase, 'bleeding heart liberal,' which means someone who is overly sympathetic to underprivileged people. But never mind that. My intention here is not to get into a political discussion. Instead, I would like to explain how you can grow beautiful Bleeding Heart perennials.

Actually there are two main types of Bleeding Heart perennials: the 'Fringed' variety and the 'Japanese' variety (scientific names 'dicentra eximia' and 'dicentra spectabilis,' respectively), but since they are both very similar to one another, I won't differentiate between the two in this article.

Bleeding Heart is mainly used in rock gardens or in wild flower gardens (in some instances they are used for cut flowers) and they tend to grow in round bushy clumps. They can reach heights of anywhere from 10 to 30 inches and their foliage is greenish-blue in color with a fernlike texture and appearance. The best thing about Bleeding Heart (and their most unique quality) is that their flowers, which are normally about one inch in size, hang from arching stems in the shape of hearts, which are colored either a shade of white, pink, or red - and the flowers appear to have a drop of blood on their bottoms, which is of course how they got their name! In other parts of the world they are known by the names, 'Dutchman's Trousers' or 'Lady-In-A-Bath.' The latter of which was gotten by flipping the flower over and pulling it open, which gives the image of a woman bathing in a pink tub.

Bleeding Hearts originally came from Japan, but due to their unique and striking appearance, they quickly gained in popularity and spread throughout the world. The flowers usually bloom in early to mid spring, but in summer, in hotter regions, they will stop blooming entirely unless they are given enough water to keep going. Their full maturation period is approximately two years.

Planting Bleeding Heart

To grow Bleeding Heart, make sure your soil is rich and moist with plenty of organic material, such as well-rotted manure or compost. They like partial shade, or a lot of shade (they were originally found in woodland areas), but can stand quite a bit of sun if given enough water. In the winter, avoid getting the soil too wet, and in the summer avoid having the soil dry out. You can grow Bleeding Heart directly from seed or by dividing up the roots and replanting them. It is also possible to replant the young shoots, but remember not to put them in areas where they will have to fight for nutrients and water from any surrounding plants.

Potted Bleeding Heart can be replanted outside in the spring, but root divisions should be planted in the fall. When dividing it up, be careful not to damage the roots as they are very brittle and fragile. Plenty of water and mulch will make your plants thrive. Space them out about two and a half feet from each other and feed them a commercial fertilizer, being careful not to give them too much. Other plants that go well with Bleeding Heart are Lungwort, Barrenwort, Virginia Bluebells, Ferns and Hostas.

Potential Problems With Bleeding Heart

Slugs and snails have been known to damage their leaves. But you can get rid of them by making a beer trap. Simply sink a half-full pan of beer in the ground next to the plants. The snails and slugs will smell the yeast, fall in and drown.

Stem rot has also been known to attack Bleeding Heart. But if your soil contains plenty of organic material, that alone will usually be enough to protect the roots from it. Also, be on the lookout for any aphid infestation.

Bleeding Heart has a tendency to become overcrowded since it lasts for many years. Simply divide your plants up at three or four year intervals. At the beginning of spring is the best time to dig it up, but again they are very fragile, so you will have to be careful with the roots. And each time you divide them up, make sure you are retaining one of the buds or eyes on each root and that no older stem remnants are still in the new planting location.

Popular Cultivars

Here are a few cultivars of Bleeding Heart, all of which fall under the scientific names, dicentra formosa, dicentra eximia, or dicentra spectabilis:

1. Adrian Bloom - it has greenish-blue foliage with striking crimson-colored flowers.
2. Snow Drift - lots of nice white flowers.
3. Luxuriant - a common variety of Bleeding Heart with cherry-colored flowers and foliage typical seen on ferns.
4. Alba - white flowers.
5. Bountiful - pink flowers; it is a good bloomer at both the beginning and end of each season.

So there you have plenty of information to get you started growing one of the most unique and beautiful perennials in the world: Bleeding heart!