Gardening with Gary

Gardening Advice from an Expert

Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra)

Q. My bleeding heart was beautiful last spring...but in the late summer and fall it looked dead...do you think it will come back this spring? Also it is going on its fourth year (growing season)

A. That is a hard one to call. Bleeding Hearts do tend to die back in late summer many times due to the heat of some climates. Being a perennial, they still have their root system though, and should grow back the next season. But, if they were allowed to dry badly, they may be dead.

Make sure that they are growing in the coolest area of your gardens, and have plenty of shade and water. If exposed to the heat of the sun, especially from July on, they will crisp and not come back.

Trim out any dead stems now, unless you can bend them and see that there is still green inside. When the temps in your area are spring-like, give them a good shot of fertilizer and see what happens. Let's hope for the best!

Bridget writes~ I have two types of Bleeding Hearts and the ones that bloom for most of the summer look fine. The others (more showy and bushy) suffered through a very cold spring up here in the U.P. of Michigan. As a result, they are very tall and the leaves at this point are smaller than usual. In addition, I had divided them last fall. Quite a few perennials are tall and leggy this year and I think it is because of the cold temps. If I prune them, will I get any more blooms or should I just wait until next year? They are blooming, but look rather strange.

A. You have me puzzled here, but I feel that the bushy one should be trimmed a little right now to reduce its size and legginess. I am unsure if this is the type which blooms all summer. If it is not, then the flowering would be over now. If it is, then more flowers will arise from healthy cut back buds. Here is some good information:

The Bleeding Heart, Dicentra (Dielytra) spectabilis, is one of our most showy old-fashioned flowers which everyone loves. It grows from 2-4' tall and spreads out almost the same distance. The leaves, which are a light, transparent green, are very neat, exceedingly graceful and very fern-like. The flowers are heart-shaped, varying from a light pink to a rosy-crimson in color, and are produced in sprays along the stems. It is closely related to many of our daintiest woodland flowers.

The Squirrel's Corn (D. canadensis) has small tubers resembling a kernel of corn, the white flowers tipped with rose.

The Dutchman's Breeches (D. Cucullaria) has white flowers tipped with creamy yellow, the flowers closely resembling their namesake. Both of these sorts are natives.

The Plumy Bleeding Heart (D. eximia) is said to have the handsomest foliage of any border plant. Its flowers are rosy-pink and it is in bloom from May through August. It grows 9-14 tall and is a most worthy plant. The other Dicentras bloom earlier in April, May and June.

The Golden Ear-drops (D. chrysantha) has golden yellow flowers, but is not so well known as the other native ones.

The Bleeding Heart is fine for the garden borders or margins of shrubbery. It is also grown as a pot plant and it forces so well that it is useful as a window plant. The native or woodland species naturalize beautifully along woodland walks, in the rock garden or in beds of ferns.

As soon as the flowers of the Dicentras have finished blooming, the foliage dies down. This makes it difficult. to keep track of the various sorts unless they are in locations not easily forgotten. They have a very easy culture, doing well in either shady or sunny positions, although they prefer the shade and a rich, light soil.

They are propagated from seeds, division of the roots, or from young shoots which start from the soil in early Spring. These shoots or the roots should be divided just before they start growth.

Assistance from: http://www.backyardgardener.com