White bleeding heart

Sun

Partial shade; morning sun with afternoon shade is ideal. More sun is tolerable in cool climates if the soil stays moist.

Water

Keep evenly moist during spring growth and flowering, without waterlogging. Water during dry spells, but do not keep dormant crowns wet.

Soil

Humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; tolerates mildly acidic to mildly alkaline conditions.

Height

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m)

Flowers

Spring to early summer; pure white, pendant, heart-shaped flowers hang along arching stems.

Foliage

Soft green, deeply divided leaves form a loose mound; foliage usually yellows and disappears in summer, though it may last longer in cool, moist conditions.

Growth

Moderate; forms a substantial clump over several years.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

3. After 2 years

   2 ft (0.6 m)

4. After 3 years

   2.5 ft (0.75 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant in a sheltered spot with afternoon shade and space for its arching stems.
• Water deeply during dry spring weather, keeping the root zone moist rather than saturated.
• Apply compost or leaf mould in spring, keeping it clear of the crown.
• Avoid heavy feeding; a spring compost dressing is usually enough.
• Mark the crown before summer dieback so you do not damage it while planting nearby.
• Divide only when needed, in early spring or autumn, handling the brittle roots carefully.

Pruning. Remove spent flower stems if you want a tidier appearance. Leave green foliage intact, then cut it to ground level once it has yellowed and died back.

Early spring

Plant or divide as growth begins; protect emerging shoots if a hard frost is forecast.

Spring

Apply compost or leaf mould and check young shoots for slugs and snails.

Spring to early summer

Water during dry spells and enjoy the flowers; remove spent stems if desired.

Summer

Allow yellowing foliage to die back naturally, then cut it down and mark the crown.

Autumn

Plant dormant nursery stock or divide established clumps if necessary; avoid waterlogged sites.

Winter

Leave dormant crowns undisturbed and check that water is not pooling over them.

• Plant in a woodland border with ferns and hostas for contrasting leaf shapes.
• Use in a white garden where its flowers brighten spring shade.
• Place behind later-emerging shade perennials that will cover the gap after summer dieback.
• Grow beside a sheltered path where the hanging flowers can be seen close up.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Cottage garden, Romantic rose garden, White garden, English country and Secret garden.

Plant it with: Hostas, Japanese painted fern, Siberian bugloss, Lungwort, Hellebores and Astilbes.

Wildlife: Flowers can attract long-tongued bees and, in North America, hummingbirds. It is not a North American, British or Australian native plant.

• Slugs and snails can eat emerging shoots: check at dusk, remove by hand and use iron phosphate bait according to the label if needed.
• Crown and root rot can develop in saturated soil: improve drainage or move the plant, and avoid burying the crown too deeply.
• Hot sun or dry soil can scorch leaves and bring early dormancy: provide afternoon shade, mulch and water during active growth.
• Late frost can blacken new shoots: cover emerging growth before cold nights and trim damaged tissue once the extent of injury is clear.

All parts, including the roots, contain toxic alkaloids and are poisonous if eaten by people, cats, dogs or horses. Ingestion can cause vomiting, abdominal pain and, in larger amounts, tremors or other serious neurological signs. Sap may irritate skin; wear gloves when dividing and seek medical or veterinary advice after ingestion.

• Pink bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis)

  Has the same tall, arching habit, but the usual flowers have pink outer petals and white inner tips rather than being entirely white.

• Pacific bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa)

  Forms lower, spreading patches with finer, fern-like foliage and smaller flowers in clusters above the leaves; white-flowered forms also occur.

• Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

  Much shorter, with finely divided foliage and white flowers shaped like upside-down trousers, with two distinct spurs rather than a rounded heart.

Bleeding heart describes the heart-shaped flowers with protruding inner petals, while 'Alba' means white in Latin.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in early spring or autumn, keeping healthy buds and roots on each section. Root cuttings taken during dormancy are another option. Seedlings may not retain the white flowers of 'Alba', so use vegetative propagation to keep the cultivar true.

Accepted botanical name

Lamprocapnos spectabilis

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Korea and Manchuria.

Measured

Average height 75 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.