Bleeding Hearts (The genus Dicentra) are some of the most treasured plants in America, with finely cut foliage, and flowers that are arrayed on a tall arching stem, a lot like a string of pearls, or miniature hearts. Our native dicentras are all wonderful wildflowers of woodland shade, from the eastern "Dutchman's Breeches" and "Fringed Bleeding Heart" to the Northwest's "Pacific Bleeding Heart". But of course, the most popular garden dicentra is the world-famous beauty, Dicentra spectabilis, which is native to Japan, and widely planted in both the alba (white) and pink forms. This magnificent plant, larger than most of our natives, has long been a herald of spring in shade gardens in Zones 2 to 9, a huge area of the US. They are quite easy to grow, as long as "woodland" conditions are provided. That means some shade, plenty of moisture with good drainage, and rich soil. Like the trilliums and other woodland plants, bleeding hearts "die down" after bloom. In the South, the foliage is gone by midsummer; it lasts longer into fall in the north. Once your clump has become large, you can divide the rhizome after flowering.
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Botanical Name
: Dicentra spectabilis
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Common Name
: Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart
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Color
: Pink heart shaped flowers with white tears
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Spread/Width
: 24-30" wide
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Bloom Time
: Late spring to early summer
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Sun/Shade
: Partial to full shade
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Soil Preferences
: Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil.
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