Growing Bleeding Heart: A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 20, 2026
Bleeding heart is a spring perennial with arching stems of pendant pink and white flowers, and it disappears entirely partway through the year.
Summer dormancy catches everyone once
NC State Extension puts it plainly: by mid-summer the leaves decline, turn yellow and drop after blooming has ended. The plant is not dying. It has finished its year and gone dormant underground.
Two practical consequences. Plant something nearby that fills the gap in July, because there will be one. And mark where the crown is, so you do not put a spade through it in August looking for a plant that is only asleep.
Morning sun, afternoon shade
That is the toolbox’s recommendation, though it tolerates deep to partial shade and handles full sun in cool moist climates. Hot afternoon sun brings the dormancy on earlier.
Sizes
Two to three feet tall and one to three feet across, hardy zones 3 through 9, flowering April to June.
The genus name changed from Dicentra to Lamprocapnos, which is why older references and newer ones disagree. Same plant.
Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Lamprocapnos spectabilis.
Companion planting guide for Bleeding Heart · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 3-9. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Mature height: 2-3 ft
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. It doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
When to plant bleeding heart, by zone
Every zone bleeding heart grows in. Pick your zone in the header and it will be highlighted here. Each zone links to its full page.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Bloom |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3a & 3b | Not usually | May 2–May 9 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 4a & 4b | Not usually | Apr 17–Apr 24 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 5a & 5b | Not usually | Apr 12–Apr 19 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 6a & 6b | Not usually | Mar 28–Apr 4 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 7a & 7b | Not usually | Mar 13–Mar 20 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 8a & 8b | Not usually | Feb 25–Mar 4 | First real harvest the season after planting |
| 9a & 9b | Not usually | Jan 18–Jan 25 | First real harvest the season after planting |
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Bleeding Heart plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: about 2 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 2-3 ft.
Where to buy bleeding heart seeds
None of the seed suppliers we list carries bleeding heart seeds right now. A local garden center or a specialty seed house is the place to look.
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See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing bleeding heart" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
Pin this for later
Growing Bleeding Heart: It flowers in spring, vanishes completely by midsummer, and that is normal rather than a death.
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