How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Bleeding Hearts

Bleeding Heart Care

Here are the basic care requirements for growing a bleeding heart:

• Plant bleeding heart in a shady, protected area
• Place roots down in the ground with the crown just below the soil
• Use rich, organic moist, well-draining soil
• Keep the soil moist but not soggy
• Fertilize bleeding heart plants only if your soil is poor

Planting

Plant a bleeding heart in partial shade and rich, well-draining soil. Plant the bleeding heart’s bare roots so the crown is about 1 to 2 inches below the soil. If it’s planted too deeply, the crown may rot. Protect these delicate flowers from strong winds by placing a bleeding heart in an area with a windbreak and some sun protection. A woodland garden is ideal for a bleeding heart plant.

Light

Bleeding heart does best in partial shade but it can also handle full shade. Direct sun can cause the plant to go dormant early and cut its blooming period short.

Soil

Bleeding heart prefers humus-rich, moist, well-draining soil with lots of organic matter. A slightly acidic to neutral soil pH is best. Before planting, it’s ideal to work a few inches of compost into the soil, especially if you don’t have organically rich soil.

Water

Bleeding heart plants like lightly moist soil. It doesn’t tolerate soggy or dry soils very well. Water throughout the growing season when the top inch of soil has dried out, even during summer dormancy to keep the roots hydrated. But make sure the soil doesn’t stay waterlogged, which can lead to root rot.

Temperature and Humidity

This plant’s ideal temperature is between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and it has a tolerance for high humidity. As the summer heat strengthens, you’ll likely see the foliage yellowing. This is a perfectly normal sign of the plant going dormant to store its energy.

Fertilizer

Bleeding heart plants are not heavy feeders, so when to fertilize depends on the quality of your soil. If you have rich, organic soil that is amended every year, you likely won’t have to feed at all. If you have poor soil, you can apply an all-purpose, slow-release fertilizer in the spring. Also, as a woodland plant, the bleeding heart does well with a top dressing of leaf mold.

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Types of Bleeding Heart

Bleeding heart bush (Lamprocapnos spectabilis), or common bleeding heart, differs in its looks, growing conditions, and hardiness from the bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae), also known as the glory bower plant. When planting common bleeding heart, look for several varieties with similar growing characteristics, including:

• Lamprocapnos spectabilis ‘Alba’: This cultivar produces pure white heart-shaped flowers.
• Lamprocapnos spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’: This cultivar produces pink flowers and yellow-gold foliage but grows slightly smaller (up to 2 feet tall) than the classic bleeding heart plant.
• Lamprocapnos spectabilis ‘Valentine’: An eye-popping cultivar, this plant blooms bright cherry-red flowers with white tips and burgundy stems.
• Dicentra spectabilis ‘‘White Gold’: This elegant plant blooms with bright white flowers and chartreuse foliage.
• Dicentra spectabilis ‘Ruby Gold’: This unique variety features golden foliage with ruby red blooms.

Pruning

No major pruning is required, though you can trim back the foliage as it becomes brown and unsightly before dormancy. Refrain from deadheading (removing the spent blooms) if you want the flowers to go to seed.

Propagating Bleeding Heart

Bleeding heart is usually planted from nursery seedlings, but you can propagate bleeding heart from seeds, clump division, or stem cuttings. Propagation by cuttings is best done in spring to early summer. If you are starting from seeds in the garden, sow them in the fall. Here’s how to propagate bleeding hearts:

Propagation by Division

1. Dig a circle around the crown of the roots and pull up the root ball. The roots grow horizontally. Do not worry when cutting through the roots.
2. Examine the root crown; look for pink buds of growth. Cut through the root ball, leaving at least one bud per sectioned area (two to three buds per section is better).
3. Replant the original root ball in its original spot. Plant the new section or sections in new spots or a potting mix enriched with compost or leaf mold.
4. Water thoroughly to moisten the soil, but do not leave it too wet or soggy.

Propagation by Cuttings

1. Use sterilized pruners to take a 3- to 5-inch cutting from a healthy bleeding heart plant and take off the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting.
2. Fill a container with potting mix and poke a hole in the center of the soil. Dip the cut end of the cutting into rooting hormone and put it into the hole. Firm the soil around the stem.
3. Water the soil to the point that it’s moist but not soggy. Put a clear plastic bag around the cutting, not touching the plant. If condensation appears on the inside of the bag, poke a hole in the plastic for some ventilation.
4. Place the plant in indirect light. A bright windowsill will be too sunny and scorch the plant. Make sure the soil remains moist but not soggy.
5. Once you notice new growth, the plant has successfully rooted. Remove the plastic bag.
6. Move the bleeding heart plant outdoors once it’s rooted well and new growth is more abundant. Harden off the plant in a protected spot for a few days before moving it to its permanent spot outdoors.

How to Grow Bleeding Heart From Seed

To start seeds indoors, place the seeds in a pot of soil. Put the pot in a plastic bag, and place it in the freezer for six to eight weeks. Remove the pot, and gradually reintroduce the plant to light and warmer conditions. The change in temperature and exposure to sunlight will allow the seeds to germinate and sprout.

Bleeding hearts also tend to self-seed in the garden, though not invasively. The tiny seedlings can be carefully dug up and transplanted.

Potting and Repotting Bleeding Heart

Bleeding heart plants do well as container plants, and they can be grown indoors, as well, but conditions need to be right. Opt for a large container that’s at least a 12-inch pot with drainage holes. Unglazed clay is best to allow excess moisture to evaporate through its walls. Use a quality, well-draining potting mix.

A bleeding heart plant can live for four to five years in a large container before becoming root-bound and needing to be repotted. Either divide your plant or move up to a container that will fit its root ball with a couple of inches to spare between it and the container walls. Gently ease the plant out of its old container, and place it at the same depth in the new pot. Fill around it with potting mix, and water well.

Overwintering

Bleeding heart will naturally die back during the winter season. However, the roots should survive the cold weather, even if the plant appears dead above ground. As the plant depreciates before winter, you can cut the stems down to 1 or 2 inches from ground level. Keep watering the soil up until the first frost. At the start of winter, you can protect the roots and help them retain moisture by adding a 2-inch layer of mulch on top of the plant stems. Remove the mulch as the ground thaws in the spring.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

When it comes to pests, bleeding heart struggles the most with aphids, scale, slugs, and snails. The easiest and least invasive treatment for aphids and scale is using an insecticidal soap or neem oil. Slugs and snails are best remedied by physically picking them off at night or in the early morning and disposing of them in a bucket of soapy water.

Bleeding heart is prone to fungal diseases, including powdery mildew and leaf spot, which can be treated with a fungicide. If the plant has turned black and is foul-smelling, it’s rotting and can infect other nearby plants. Pull the plant and dispose of it in a sealed bag. If it was in a container, sterilize the entire container and throw out the soil. If the diseased plant was pulled from your garden, treat the area with a fungicide.

How to Get Bleeding Heart to Bloom

Bleeding heart is usually a spring-blooming plant and will continue to flower into the summer until it gets too hot. However, note that this plant takes some time to establish and might not flower in its first growing season. Plants that are cramped and need to be divided also might not flower or flower less than its typical bloom.

To trigger the plant to flower again in the season, you can stimulate new growth by cutting the plant down to 1 inch above ground level. Also, ensure that the plant stays out of the direct sunlight, which can hinder blooming.

Common Problems With Bleeding Heart

Bleeding heart plants are not usually problematic when the growing conditions are right. Common issues stem from inadequate watering or pest and disease problems.

Powdery Patches on Foliage

Spots of black, gray, white, or pink powder on bleeding heart leaves indicate powdery mildew, a treatable disease when caught immediately. A fungicide will remove the problem. To prevent powdery mildew, water at the soil level (not on the foliage) and ensure the plants are not crowded and have plenty of aeration.

Brown or Black Spots on the Leaves

If a bleeding heart plant develops small brown or black spots on the leaves that grow larger with a yellow ring or halo with the center of the ring beginning to rot out, then the plant likely has fungal leaf spot. Treatment with a fungicide or baking soda solution can neutralize the fungus if caught early. As the disease progresses, the leaves drop and the plant will die.

Yellowing Leaves

A bleeding heart plant naturally turns yellow and dies back as the temperature increases. The plant is entering dormancy, which is its normal growth cycle. However, yellowing leaves can also occur if the plant is getting too much water, the soil is too alkaline, or the plant is getting too much sun. Adjust those conditions as necessary. Additionally, yellowing can also be a sign of a fungal disease emerging, such as verticillium or fusarium. A plant with this disease is not salvageable and should be destroyed before it spreads to other plants.

Browning, Blackening, or Rapid Wilting of the Plant

Diseases like verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, botrytis, and root rot will cause a plant to fail quickly. Initial signs will be wilting, leading to all-over browning or the plant beginning to rot. Botrytis appears as a gray mold that overtakes the plant. If your plant is infected with these fungal issues and has begun to brown or blacken, the plant is too far gone, and fungicide will likely not help. Remove all of the soil, discard it, and sterilize the container before using it again. Seal the plant in a plastic bag before discarding it.