Bleeding heart
Bleeding heart: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
Bleeding heart is a herbaceous perennial from eastern Asia, known botanically as Lamprocapnos spectabilis. Its older name, Dicentra spectabilis, is also still used. It belongs to the poppy family, Papaveraceae, although its dangling flowers look very different from familiar garden poppies. The plant returns from a perennial rootstock and forms a loose, leafy clump rather than a woody shrub.Its most recognisable feature is the row of heart-shaped flowers suspended beneath arching stems. The inflated outer petals often have a rose-pink colour, with a white part projecting below like a small drop. Other varieties offer white flowers or stronger reddish shades. The curved stems and repeated flower shapes make the display especially noticeable when seen against a simple background of green foliage.The leaves are also decorative, with divided leaflets and a soft green appearance. Young growth can emerge with reddish tones, while some varieties have golden foliage. A mature plant often…
