How to Grow and Care for Bleeding Heart Flowers

Lamprocapnos spectabilis, formerly Dicentra spectabilis

In the world of garden plants, few stick out as immediately identifiable as Lamprocapnos spectabilis, commonly referred to as bleeding hearts.

I remember these flowers from my youth, as I’m sure many other gardeners do.

It took a long time for me to grow and tend for my own, but I’ve since wasted no effort fostering these springtime lovelies since they’ve found their way into my gardens.

A vertical close up picture of the pink flowers with white points of the bleeding heart plant, L. spectabilis, growing in the garden, with foliage in soft focus in the background. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white text.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

In time I came to appreciate their ease of maintenance as much as their soothing foliage and drip-dropping flowers.

Let’s learn about where these plants came from, and why they deserve a spot in your garden.

What Are Bleeding Hearts?

Often referred to as “old fashioned bleeding hearts,” these herbaceous perennials are members of the poppy family, Papaveraceae.

A large bleeding heart plant, in full bloom with pink flowers growing in front of a large stone wall with an archway in the background.

Soft, green, fern-like foliage and stems support the iconic heart-shaped flower petals, complete with a tiny, trailing drop of color at the bottom of each flower.

It’s impossible not to see where this beauty gets its common name!

They bloom in mid-to-late spring to early summer, and die back over the hotter months, reappearing in all their splendor next season.

A vertical picture showing pink bleeding hearts, the blooms hanging on an arched stem with a soft focus background.

Bleeding hearts will thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9, bloom times may vary.

They are easy plants to care for, but require a skilled and artful eye to compensate for the the gap they leave in borders and beds after they’ve finished blooming.

A close up of the beautiful white flowers of the 'Alba' variety of bleeding hearts. Growing from a green stem, on a soft focus background with pink flowers.

Formerly known as Dicentra spectabilis, and indeed still referred to by this name by many nurseries, in 1997 the plant was reclassified as Lamprocapnos spectabilis.

According to an article published in 1997 in the Journal of Plant Systematics and Evolution by Magnus Linden et al, DNA testing revealed that the bleeding heart is actually more closely related to other members of the Lamprocapnos genus than those of Dicentra.

In 2006, the Royal Horticultural Society recognized the name change, and lists D. spectabilis as a synonym.

Cultivation and History

Originally from Asia, bleeding hearts made their way into Western gardens in the mid-nineteenth century.

A close up artistic photo of young buds of the L. spectabilis plant with some opened into their pink heart-shaped forms in the background fading to soft focus.

Since then, they have become a familiar feature in many European and North American gardens.

Although not native to the United States or Europe, L. spectabilis is not considered invasive in these regions because of its brief bloom cycle and tendency to grow slowly in a contained area.

Bleeding Heart Plant Propagation

While it is possible to grow L. spectabilis from seed, this isn’t usually recommended.

It does not transplant well after emerging as a seedling, and it can be difficult to get these seeds to germinate in the first place.

From Seed

If you’re a glutton for extra work, you can purchase seeds and start them indoors about 12 weeks before your average last frost date.

You’ll need to cold stratify them first, by placing the seeds in the refrigerator for four to six weeks before sowing. And be patient – it can take up to a month for them to germinate.

Keep the seedlings in full light and follow the basic rules of growing seedlings: rotate your plants so they don’t grow lopsided, don’t water too much, and plant extra because you’re probably going to lose some along the way.

Timing the transition from seed tray to garden can be difficult because L. spectabilis does not transplant easily, and an unexpected cold snap could ruin all of your planning and preparation.

When they have grown two sets of true leaves, plant out the seedlings in a shady or part-shade area of your garden and keep an eye on just where they’re planted.

Alternatively, you can sow seeds directly after harvesting them from an existing plant. Wait until the seed pods are completely dry, and sow them an inch deep.

From Division or Transplants

The easiest way to propagate bleeding hearts is through simple root division, or to purchase live plants that are ready for transplant.

Two hands wearing blue gardening gloves, one holding a trowel to dig a hole to transplant a young L. spectabilis plant. To the right of the frame is a further hand spade and a red flower. In the background is soil and other foliage.

Because the plant grows thick, rhizomatous roots, dividing it is an easy process with a high success rate. Follow our guide to dividing perennials to learn how.

You can divide your plants in fall, after they have been dormant through the summer months, or in spring when new growth starts to appear.

Place your transplants one to two feet apart in soil amended with compost, and place the transplanted L. spectabilis in an area you can easily check regularly.

Keep them watered, but not too wet. I like to give the plants a heavy drink right off the bat when they are first transplanted, and another deep drink by the end of the first week. Then keep an eye on them for the following weeks until they’re established.

You can also obtain dormant bare-root plants from nurseries, for planting out in spring.

Find more tips on propagating bleeding heart flowers here.

How to Grow Bleeding Heart Flowers

This will sound ridiculously simple, but that’s one of the beautiful traits of L. spectabilis. It’s a remarkably easy shade ornamental to grow.

Apart from a few minor pests to contend with, it’s hardy and requires a modicum of care and attention after planting.

A close up of pink bleeding heart flowers growing from a branch in the garden on a soft focus green background.

It grows best in well-draining soil that’s moist and rich in organic matter, such as leaf mold or compost.

Avoid planting in areas where the soil is prone to drying out. A pH of 6.0 to 7.0 is ideal, as soil that is too alkaline can cause yellowing foliage.

In its native environment, bleeding hearts grow in a woodland setting, so aim to mimic that soil – rich in organic matter with consistent moisture.

Besides following the standard order of operations for planting a new addition to your garden, caring for bleeding hearts only requires meeting a few basic needs to keep it happy and full of life.

A close up of the white flowers of a cultivar of the bleeding heart, growing in the garden amongst other plantings with a stone wall in the background in light sunshine.
Photo by Matt Suwak.

As in real estate, the key to happiness here is location, location, location.

Bleeding hearts mostly prefer shade or part-shade locations.

If it’s not an overly sunny (southwest) area of a yard, I’ve seen plants receive as much as eight hours of sun a day and still produce bountiful flowers.

A close up of the pink flowers of L. spectabilis, growing in an arching form from the branch in bright sunshine with foliage in the background in soft focus.

However, this is an exception, as this plant strongly prefers at least some shade during the day as a reprieve from the heat and sun. Sounds like me.

Regular moisture levels in the soil are an important factor in the health of the plant, but it’s easy to overdo it.

While many companions in your garden require an inch of rain a week, including L. spectabilis, your bleeding hearts don’t want to dry out either.

A garden scene with a large L. spectabilis plant in the foreground, the 'Valentine' variety is in bloom with its characteristic red and white flowers. In the background is a burgundy fence in soft focus.

They require a consistent level of moisture in the soil, and while they never wants it sopping wet, they can’t tolerate dry periods either.

This is why a shady location works best, and your plants will need additional irrigation during dry spells.

This plant is buddy-buddy with ferns, astilbe, and hellebores, so aim to mimic these cool and evenly-moist conditions that they enjoy as best you can.

In fact, the toughest part of growing L. spectabilis is finding the right companion plants for this nigh-ephemeral perennial.

It loses its foliage quickly as the summer heat sets in, and can leave a noticeable gap in the garden once it goes bye-bye.

A close up of pink L. spectabilis flowers growing in the garden, surrounded by foliage on a green soft focus background.

Except for stones and natural pieces of the landscape, I’ve never liked ornamentation in a garden.

Sorry, I just can’t do it! But many of my clients love this type of art and craft, so I may position a bird bath, metal wire sculpture, or (at one house) even an (ugly) garden gnome near to the bleeding hearts.

When the foliage dies back and is removed, these decorations can take precedence in that now empty space.

I think that gnome’s name is Winklebottom. He’s alright, for a gnome.

A close up of the bright red, white tipped flowers of the 'Valentine' variety of L. spectabilis pictured in light sunshine on a green soft focus background.

The best selection to compensate for the inevitable empty spot where bleeding hearts once stood is to find a companion plant that appreciates the room to grow just as L. spectabilis is dying back.

If you’re looking for something taller to fill the gap, consider a bed of ferns, anemone, or annual plants like impatiens and begonias.

On the shorter side of the scale, I like to pair bleeding hearts with ginger, painted ferns, heuchera (because they’re impervious and lovely all at once), and hellebores.

Growing Tips

Pruning and Maintenance

Have you provided enough shade and the appropriate amount of moisture for your bleeding hearts?

Good, that’s about all you gotta do.

Besides this very basic lesson of “location, location, location,” you’ll need to cut your L. spectabilis back when it’s finished flowering.

A vertical close up of pink bleeding heart flowers on a green stem on a pink and green soft focus background.

The foliage and stems should start to dry up and get all sorts of crispy by July. It’s not inappropriate to cut the foliage back a little sooner, and likewise to leave it standing for much longer.

In the right gardens – I’m thinking woodland settings – I like to leave the foliage of my bleeding hearts up for as long as possible.

I understand that allowing dead plant matter to accumulate can create a breeding ground for disease and bacteria. But I figure these plants got along just fine without an attentive gardener for thousands of years. They know what they’re doing, right?

It’s up to you whether you want to cut back the foliage when it dies, or leave it alone.

Bleeding Heart Cultivars to Select

The most popular and well-loved variety is the old fashioned bleeding heart.

There are a few different cultivars of L. spectabilis available, and more from the – now unrelated – Dicentra genus, that may be listed as “bleeding heart” by some nurseries.

Alba

‘Alba’ is a fast-growing variety with lime green foliage and elegant white flowers, with the characteristic droplet at the bottom of each bloom.

A close up of white 'Alba' flowers with the characteristic tear-drop shape at the bottom, hanging from a green stem, with foliage in soft focus in the background.

It blooms on arching stems for six to eight weeks in mid- to late spring, and looks heavenly planted among the more traditional pink variety.

A close up of the white flowers of the 'Alba' variety of L. spectabilis, growing in an upright form in the garden, on a soft focus background.

‘Alba’

‘Alba’ grows 24 to 30 inches tall at maturity, and its clumping form can spread 18 to 36 inches.

You can find bare root plants for these timeless classics available at Home Depot.

Common, or Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart

The most popular, original bleeding heart, L. spectabilis will provide a delightful pop of pink color, and add texture with its showy blooms to any shady spot in your yard.

A close up showing pink bleeding heart flowers, with the detail of the white petal at the bottom of the heart-shape on an arching stem, on a soft focus green background.

The arching stems drip with pink hearts with a snowy white tip.

A close up of old fashioned pink L. spectabilis flowers growing on the stem with green foliage surrounding them fading to soft focus in the background.

Old Fashioned Bleeding Heart

The old fashioned bleeding heart grows up to 30 to 36 inches tall at maturity.

You can find two- to four-year-old plants in half-gallon containers from Nature Hills Nursery.

Alternatively, you can find bare roots that will ship in the spring, ready to plant, available at Eden Brothers.

Gold Heart

If the name of this cultivar conjures visions of gold hearts adorning your garden, you will be disappointed. It’s the foliage that is a yellowish-gold color.

A garden border with mixed plantings and a large 'Gold Heart' variety of L. spectabilis featured prominently. Yellowish gold leaves contrast with the surrounding green foliage with pink and purple flowers.

Once the pretty pink flowers bloom amongst the yellow-gold foliage, you’ll find this cheery variety adds interest and texture, especially in areas already heavy with greenery.

A close up of the yellow foliage and pink flowers of the 'Gold Heart' variety of L. spectabilis, pictured in a mixed planting in the garden, fading to soft focus in the background.

‘Gold Heart’

‘Gold Heart’ has pink flowers that are identical to the common variety, and grow up to 30 to 36 inches tall at maturity.

If you prefer your golds to your greens, you can find roots for ‘Gold Heart’ available at Home Depot.

Valentine

Will your heart bleed this Valentine’s Day? Not for long, with this deep red version of the old fashioned favorite.

A close up of the bright red flowers, with a soft white tip of the 'Valentine' variety of L. spectabilis. The branch is a dark red color on a green soft focus background.

Elegant scarlet flowers adorn the arching, deep red stems.

A close up of the bright red with white tip blooms of the 'Valentine' variety of the L. spectabilis plant, on a green soft focus background.

‘Valentine’

More prosaically known as ‘Hordival’ by some nurseries, this cultivar is slightly smaller than the common variety, reaching a mature height of one to two feet tall.

You can find live bare root plants for ‘Valentine’ available at Walmart.

Managing Pests and Disease

On the whole, these plants don’t suffer from many problems with pests or disease. However, there are a few things to watch out for:

Herbivores

I live my gardening life by the motto “nothing is deer proof,” so I won’t say with 100 percent certainty that deer, rabbits, and other grazers are going to ignore L. spectabilis if nothing better is on the menu.

However, this plant is rarely of interest to grazing critters, and is more likely to sustain damage from a deer carelessly charging through the garden than to be subject to a quick nibble.

Insects

This plant is remarkably resistant to bothersome pests. I’ve yet to see any serious damage on any of the bleeding hearts I care for.

I attribute this to their innate resistance and also their relatively short active growth phase.

Aphids

Barely a concern, most aphid infestations will resolve themselves. You could use an insecticidal spray to alleviate your aphid problems, or buy some ladybugs and parasitic wasps to eliminate these sap-sucking insects.

Learn more about how to control aphids in your garden here.

Or take a page out of my book and let it be. Chances are that by the time you notice the yellowing leaves of your L. spectabilis and figure out it’s the work of aphids, you’ll be near the end of the growing season, at which point you can simply cut back the remaining foliage or ignore the bugs altogether.

Disease

Besides aphids, bleeding hearts can be plagued by a couple of diseases due to their ideal growing conditions being in wet, shady areas.

Fusarium Wilt

Fusarium wilt is a fungal disease that starts as a root-based problem, and works its way up to the tippy-top of the plant and leaves with telltale dark streaks on the stems. It can also cause damping off in seedlings and young plants. You can learn more about damping off here.

Verticillium Wilt

Verticillium wilt is also a fungal disease that causes problems in the vascular tissue of the stem, reducing water and nutrient uptake. Stems and foliage will wilt and then turn yellow, and eventually die off.

In both scenarios, your best solution is to simply remove and destroy the plant.

Avoid planting any other L. spectabilis plants in this location for at least a year to prevent a recurrence.

Find more tips on identifying and treating diseases of bleeding heart plants here.

Yellowing Leaves? It’s Not a Problem

Because bleeding hearts are such a short-lived perennial above ground, they tend to yellow and fade quickly.

I’ve seen them last through July but rarely into mid-August. If the foliage is yellowing but not presenting signs of the above fungi, you can simply ignore the condition of the plants.

They have a short season, and lose their green sooner than other plants in the garden.

We have more information on why bleeding heart leaves may turn yellow here.

Best Uses for Bleeding Heart Plants

I’ve got a garden full of ones and twos; that is, I have a garden full of singular specimen plants with little attention to mass plantings.

I like a kaleidoscope of color and interest, and I find incomparable joy in watching a sort of left-and-right-and-back-again season of interest.

A large L. spectabilis plant growing in front of a brick home with a large number of characteristic pink flowers hanging from the branches.

For that reason, I prefer to have bleeding hearts scattered around a growing area.

This allows random pops of heart-shaped flowers and color in the spring and early summer, ideally nestled beneath a large tree or in the undergrowth of shrubbery.

A garden scene of a border with mixed plantings and a bleeding heart in full bloom with its pink flowers.

I let the plants grow and spread as they like until they start to grow unruly. At that point, I divide the plant and transplant some, or give others to my friends and neighbors.

But in some gardens where I work, the clients prefer more uniformity.

In that scenario, I suggest planting L. spectabilis in tight clumps surrounded by companion plants to fill in the gaps later in the summer. This is a perennial that works well en masse.

A garden scene showing a large L. spectabilis plant with characteristic pink and white flowers hanging from the branches, and the fern-like foliage amongst other plantings.
Photo by Matt Suwak.

On the flip side, if you’re working with a more limited space, a single section dedicated to bleeding hearts will do the trick just fine.

They are a subtle and somehow still striking specimen to place in the garden.

A close up picture of the heart shaped, pink flowers of the L. spectabilis, or "bleeding heart" plant. The flowers hang from the branch with foliage in soft focus in the background.
Photo by Matt Suwak.

My aunt had three rhododendrons in her front yard spaced about three feet apart, and these lovely shrubs were hyphenated in between with bleeding hearts.

Some years the bloom season overlapped and others it didn’t, but the years when this show of blooms coincided were well worth it.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:Herbaceous perennialFlower / Foliage Color:Pink, red, white; green, yellow-gold
Native to:Siberia, China, Korea, JapanMaintenance:Low
Hardiness (USDA Zone):3-9Tolerance:Shade, deer, most pests
Season:Spring and early summerWater Needs:Moist but not soggy
Exposure:Shade to part sunSoil Type:Average
Time To Maturity:60 daysSoil pH:7.0 (neutral)
Spacing:12-24 inchesSoil Drainage:Well-draining
Planting Depth:1 inch (seeds). depth of the root ball (transplants)Companion Planting:Astilbe, begonias, ferns, hellebore, impatiens, and spring bulbs
Height:1-3 feetUses:Specimens, mass plantings, beds and borders
Spread:1-3 feetFamily:Papaveraceae
Growth Rate:ModerateGenus:Lamprocapnos
Pests & Diseases:Aphids; wiltSpecies:spectabilis

Be Still, My Bleeding Heart

Bleeding hearts are an old-timey plant and a garden favorite, with good cause.

Easy to care for, with unique flowers and soothing green (or gold!) foliage, they are all too happy to bloom and thrive in those shady areas that nothing pretty seems to like.

A close up of an arching branch of the bleeding heart plant, adorned with pink flowers and the characteristic white and red 'tear' hanging from the bottom in bright sunshine on a green soft focus background.

Toss out your worries and your concerns, and throw some bleeding hearts into your garden and watch them bloom, then tell us all about it! Feel free to leave us a comment below.

And if you are looking for more shade loving plants, why not try these guides next:

Photo of author

About

Matt Suwak was reared by the bear and the bobcat and the coyote of rural Pennsylvania. This upbringing keeps him permanently affixed to the outdoors where most of his personal time is invested in gardening, bird watching, and hiking. He presently resides in Philadelphia and works under the sun as a landscaper and gardener, and by moonlight as a writer. An incessant questioning of “Why?” affords him countless opportunities to ponder the (in)significance of the great and the small. He considers folksy adages priceless treasures and is fueled almost entirely by beer and hot sauce.

Wait! We have more!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

16 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
LEROY
LEROY (@guest_8143)
3 years ago

CAN I TRANPLANT SOME OF THE ROOTS AND WHEN IS THE BEST TIME?????

Carole Rocklin
Carole Rocklin (@guest_8734)
3 years ago

My plant is in a flower pot on a balcony. In the shade it is beautiful and growing quite happily. Am I able to take it indoors when the weather turns? I live in Quebec where the weather turns snowy!

Helen
Helen (@guest_11275)
3 years ago

I’ve been trying to find this plant in Western Australia but have been unsuccessful so far. Do you know if they grown over here and if so who stocks them in the Perth area?

peter mccullagh
peter mccullagh (@guest_11629)
Reply to  Helen
3 years ago

I’m growing them in Dublin, in pots. How should I feed them?

Julie
Julie (@guest_11809)
2 years ago

I have 2 old fashion bleeding heart plants & 2 that are suppose to be “everblooming,”. I have never divided them after many years, but they are appearing to be tired. Its still very cool this spring here in Michigan, but these plants are already a few inches high. Is this a good time to dig them up & divide. How close can I plant them to each other after diividing and will I know what to look for in regards to the eyes each transplant must have? This process is new to me.

Charlotte jones
Charlotte jones (@guest_12369)
2 years ago

Hi, this is my first year growing bleeding hearts, I wasn’t sure how big they got so I only bought one bare root. We are near the end of May now, southwest UK, and this is how big my plant got. Did I over crowd? It gets about 6 hours of morning sun, none after that as we have a massive tree behind that blocks all afternoon sun (and the fence)

Charlotte jones
Charlotte jones (@guest_12370)
Reply to  Charlotte jones
2 years ago

It won’t let me upload a photo

Clare Groom
Clare Groom(@clareg)
Editor
Reply to  Charlotte jones
2 years ago

Hi Charlotte, if you click on the paper clip at the bottom right of the frame it should allow you to select an image from your computer to upload. Let us know if you still have problems!

Linais Jorge
Linais Jorge (@guest_12918)
2 years ago

Hello I live in zone 10b (south Florida)
I want to plant these babies. Will they thrive here?

Rose Kennedy
Rose Kennedy(@rosekennedy)
Gardening Writer
Reply to  Linais Jorge
2 years ago

Hello Linais Jorge!

Sorry to say, I would not recommend bleeding hearts for south Florida. The hottest USDA hardiness zone where they’ll thrive is 9, and your part of Florida is hotter than that.

If it were another plant, I might risk it, but these need shade and even moisture, which is hard to maintain in Florida even for plants that are hardy there. Happily, there are lots of other beautiful perennials that do thrive in 10b, so I hope you’ll scan our site to find something more suitable. Happy gardening!

Karon
Karon (@guest_13304)
2 years ago

They are so pretty. Unfortunately it does not appear they would be suited to my garden in Queensland. Maybe in a shade house?

Rose Kennedy
Rose Kennedy(@rosekennedy)
Gardening Writer
Reply to  Karon
2 years ago

Hello Karon! I share your admiration for these flowers.

I’m assuming your garden has too much light, since they do grow in your Hardiness Zone, which I have down as 5 or 6, depending on what part of Queensland you live in?

If that’s the case, I imagine a shade house would be just the thing. Let us know how it goes if you do try bleeding hearts, okay? And thanks for reading.

Sherrijean
Sherrijean (@guest_29203)
10 months ago

I’m trying really hard to read this article, but instead I’m having to deal with the overload of ads!! ???? If your goal is money fr add more than writing informational articles, then so be it. Just don’t need it. I e accidentally hit the ad buttons over 5 times while trying to scroll down.

Allison Sidhu
Allison Sidhu(@allison-sidhu)
Reply to  Sherrijean
10 months ago

Thanks for the feedback, Sherrijean. We are a small business and ads help us to pay our writers, but you’re free to use an adblocker if it helps!