Blooms of the bleeding heart plant – Dicentra Spectabilis – appear in early Spring, with its heart-shaped flowers in pink and white, or solid white displayed on arching stems.
As the plant awakes from dormancy its attractive bluish-green foliage emerges first.
The bleeding heart plant likes to be planted in a shady or part shade area, where the soil will be consistently moist.
An herbaceous perennial the bleeding heart plant dies back to the ground, as the heat of summer arrives.
As the plant begins to yellow and wither away, the foliage can be cut-back to the ground.
However, do not remove the foliage before it turns yellow or brown, as this is the time when your bleeding heart plant is storing food reserves for next year’s growing.
When foliage emerges in the Spring, work time-release plant food into the soil around the plant, encouraging more and longer lasting blooms.
The easiest method of propagation is to divide clumps every few years, which will produce an early Spring show.
