Valentine Bleeding Heart (Dicentra Spectabilis)

You've likely seen a Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) before and cooed at the pretty pink hearts dangling from arching limbs. However, this old-fashioned perennial could use a little upgrade--brilliant, clear red color makes Valentine's heart-shaped flowers all the more romantic and exciting. The benefit of the dicentra spectabilis is that it's a shade-lover that'll provide a focal point in an often-overlooked area of the garden. Dicentra spectabilis 'HORDIVAL' PP22739

Where should I plant a Valentine Bleeding Heart?

One of the best aspects of Dicentra, or bleeding hearts, is their tolerance for shade. Bleeding hearts look like plants out of a storybook woodland, because they are truly woodland perennials. Bleeding hearts grow best in partial shade, where they are protected from the hot sun. Use these perennials under trees or along fencing, near shaded ponds or alongside hosta. Dicentra bleeding hearts are stunning as a ground cover, so allow their green, frond-like foliage and lovely floral racemes to spread across a shaded meadow or wooded setting. This variety of dicentra makes a lovely shade container plant, too.

How big do dicentra Valentine get?

Valentine Bleeding Heart (Dicentra Spectabilis) grows to twenty four to thirty inches tall, and spreads up to three feet wide. Dicentra grow in bushy clumps, so they are excellent naturalizers. Space your dicentra at least 20 inches apart.

How do you care for Valentine Bleeding Heart plants?

Valentine Bleeding Hearts are relatively easy to care for. Here are a few tips to keep your dicentra flourishing:

• Plant your bareroot Bleeding Hearts in fall, when the plants are dormant.
• Set your Bleeding Hearts up for success when you plant them by aerating the planting area and mixing in compost or other organic matter to help the soil hold moisture. If you're planting in a container, use compost along with potting mix.
• Fertilize your bleeding hearts monthly with a balanced fertilizer, and keep the soil slightly acidic and moist throughout the growing season.
• To create a shorter, bushier plant, you can trim off taller stems as the plants grow.
• Dicentra will fade back in early summer. You can deadhead the flowers, but leave the foliage until the first frost.
• After the first frost hits, trim your Valentine Dicentra to an inch or two above the soil.
• Each spring, apply a fresh layer of compost to your Bleeding Hearts.

What should I plant with my Dicentra Valentine?

Dicentra pair well with other woodland flowers, such as primroses, heuchera, or bluebells. They can also be used in shade gardens, alongside hosta or toad lilies. Any plant that prefers moist, rich soil can be planted alongside Dicentra. We've also seen stunning mixed containers of Dicentra paired with tropicals like tradescantia, delicate vines, hosta, and other moisture loves. Or, allow Dicentra to shine on its own in a container—its fern-like leaves and elegant, arching racemes create a display that's not to be missed.

What does a Valentine Bleeding Heart look like?

Bleeding hearts get their name from their long, arching stems of delicate, heart-shaped, pendulant flowers. Dicentras tend to grow in attractive, clumping habit, creating a delightful fairytale feel in woodland settings. Valentine Bleeding Heart is an old-fashioned Dicentra well-loved for its romantic red color. Along with its racemes, Valentine Dicentra boasts attractive, dark-green foliage that fills out well throughout the growing season. That foliage begins the season with a slight tinge of purple when it emerges in spring.