How to grow Lamprocapnos (Bleeding Hearts)

The botanical name for this lovely flower is Lamprocapnos formosa (formerly Dicentra) in the poppy family Papaveraceae.

The more common names you will find for Lamprocapnos are Bleeding heart and Chinaman’s breeches.

Native to northern China, Japan and North America, the species Lamprocapnos spectabilis was discovered in China by Scottish plant hunter Robert Fortune, and brought back to the UK in 1846 after fighting off bandits and pirates!

Mound forming, deciduous plants, with mid-green, fern-like divided leaves. And they have sprays of delightfully dainty, heart-shaped flowers which dangle prettily from arching stems.

Flower colours range from deep cherry-red to shades of soft pink and white.

Bleeding heart plants grow best when planted in light shade, making them the ideal choice for woodland areas.  They will tolerate sun but only grow well in those conditions if the soil is reliably moist, but not waterlogged, and year round temperatures are not too high.

They are generally easy and trouble free to grow and, to help them establish quickly it’s a good idea to add some leaf mould to the soil before planting as this mimics the woodland floor conditions the plants like to grow in.

Once planted, avoid moving the plant as their roots stretch for long distances and are brittle meaning they break easily making it more difficult for the plant to re-establish easily.

They are not generally known to attract pollinating insects.

There are around 17 species of Lamprocapnos of which L. spectabilis is the most commonly found in the U.K.

As most bleeding heart plants like to grow in the same conditions, and tend to be of a similar height and spread, it’s mainly a case of choosing varieties whose colour flowers you like best.

They are all mainly trouble free if grown in shady areas in cool, humus-rich soil that remains moist.

Plants on average tend to grow to a height and spread of between 40cm x 50cm making them a good choice for middle of a shady border.

Although container grown plants can be planted at any time of the year, (as long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged), Bleeding hearts establish best when planted in early spring after all danger of frost has passed and whilst the plant is still dormant.

The leaves on bleeding heart plants start to die back after flowering as, unlike most other herbaceous plants, they become dormant during the summer, not the winter.  Fading leaves can be hidden well if surrounded with plants that provide summer interest such as Gillenia trifoliata (Bowman’s root) or low growing evergreen shade lovers, such as Pachysandra terminalis (Japanese spurge).

If planted in soil that stays reliably moist additional watering should not be necessary.

They do not have any special feeding requirements.

A few weeks after flowering the leaves of bleeding hearts will start to die down.  Wait until the leaves wilt and turn yellow before removing them, cutting down to ground level.

Make more plants by dividing well-established clumps in either early spring when the leaves appear, or late summer after the leaves have died down.

Alternatively take root cuttings of well-established plants during the winter months.

The most found problem in Asters is powdery mildew. You can purchase mildew-resistant varieties, and you may find Symphotrichum novi-belgii Asters to be the most vulnerable. When watering, avoid spraying the leaves. Try to grow your Asters in moisture-retentive soil if you can and ensure the soil doesn’t dry out.

Within six to eight weeks, you should see signs of growth from your cuttings. At this point, you can pot your cuttings into their own individual containers. Then, plant them out in spring. You should see flowers from them the following year.

Here are some great bleeding hearts to grow at home for different parts of the garden:

The best time to buy bleeding heart plants is from garden centres and plant nurseries during the spring.

Bleeding hearts look wonderful in an informal, cottage garden, shady or woodland border setting.  They can also be planted under and around shrubs and roses if the soil remains reliably moist.