About Dicentra

Bleeding heart, or Dicentra spectabilis, is a flowering perennial plant that can add beauty to a partially shady corner.

Size

Dicentra is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows between 1 and 3 feet tall and about 18 inches wide. Some cultivars grow larger than others, so check specifics about your favorite dicentra plant below.

Features

Bleeding heart is grown mostly for the dramatic, graceful flowers that appear each spring. These heart-shaped flowers are usually pink and hang from the arching flower stems. The appearance of these flowers gives the plant its common name.
The foliage is also very attractive, with several cultivars having deeply cut, fern-like leaves. Most dicentra plants are medium green in color, but newly bred plants have stunning gold foliage.

Types

Dicentra spectabilis is the most commonly grown dicentra in the home landscape and there are several cultivars available for gardeners.
Alba Bleeding Heart--A white flower dicentra that will reach up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.
Gold Heart Dicentra --The foliage of this bleeding heart has bright gold foliage that contrasts with the pink flowers.
King of Hearts Dicentra--A compact cultivar, the King of Hearts plant grows only about 1 foot tall and wide.

Considerations

Dicentra grows best in part-shade to full-shade garden areas, so gardeners might choose bleeding hearts for brightening up a shady landscape. Bleeding hearts need well-drained soil that is evenly moist and full of organic matter.
Dicentra's foliage will die back during the heat of summer, so plant your bleeding hearts between hostas or ferns that tend to leaf out much later in the spring. It takes some gardeners by surprise when dicentra foliage disappears in the late summer, but your bleeding heart will return.

Prevention/Solution

Dicentra is prone to attracting aphids; gardeners can spray them off the leaves with a water hose. If the foliage is wilting or appears stressed, check the soil moisture because dicentra plants need even watering. Mulching around the plant can be beneficial to help conserve water, so add organic matter to the soil.