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Bleeding Heart

Herbaceous Perennial Flower

Also known as Lyre Flower, Japanese Bleeding Heart, Common Bleeding Heart
Dicentra spectablis
Fumariaceae Family

Arching stems, heart shaped flowers, and divided foliage make this a spring-flowering favorite, ideal for moist, partially shaded areas. If conditions are dry, plants fade out by midsummer.

	Site and Plant Characteristics
	Growing Information
	Varieties

Site Characteristics

Sunlight:

part shade

Soil conditions:

requires well-drained soil
requires damp soil
requires high fertility

Foliage dies back if not enough moisture during summer.

Hardiness zones:

3 to 9

Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 1.5 to 4 feet

Spread: 1 to 2 feet

Bloom time:

late spring
early summer

Flower color:

white
pink

Outer petals are rosy pink,inner petals forming the heart's point are white. 'Alba' and 'Pantaloons' have all-white flowers.

Foliage color: medium green

Foliage texture: medium

Shape:

cushion, mound or clump
upright

Forms clump of arching stems.

Shape in flower: flower stalks with flowers hanging downward

Special Considerations

Special characteristics:

deer resistant
non-aggressive - Will self-seed some under moist conditions.
non-invasive
not native to North America - Native to Siberia, Northern China, and Korea

Special uses:

cut flowers

Growing Information

How to plant:

Propagate by seed, cuttings, division or separation - Sow seeds in late summer. Self-seeds some under moist conditions.
Make stem and root cuttings after flowering.
Not very tolerant of transplanting. Divide with care in fall after foliage has died or very early spring.

Maintenance and care:

Keep the soil moist but not soggy to prevent foliage from fading out in summer. When foliage dies down, cut it to the ground.
Plant with late-growing and flowering perennials or plant annuals to hide space left by plants after they fade out.
More growing information: How to Grow Perennials

Pests:

Slugs and snails (on new leaves)
Aphids

Diseases:

Downy mildew
Verticillium wilt
Viruses
Rust
Fungal leaf spots

Varieties

'Alba' grows 2.5 feet tall and has white flowers.
'Pantaloons' grows 2.5 feet tall, has white flowers and is more vigorous than 'Alba'.
'Zestful' grows 1 to 1.3 feet tall, bears pink flowers from April to fall and tolerates more sun and heat than other bleeding hearts.