Bleeding Heart in Zone 3a & 3b

Lamprocapnos spectabilis

When to plant bleeding heart in zone 3b

Zones 3a and 3b share the same average frost dates in our data, so this page covers both.

Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. Bleeding Heart doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.

Start indoors	Not typically started indoors
Direct sow / transplant outside	May 2–May 9
Estimated bloom	May 1 '28–May 8 '28 (First real harvest the season after planting)

Spacing: about 2 square feet per plant (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 2-3 ft.

Bleeding heart is a spring perennial with arching stems of pendant pink and white flowers, and it disappears entirely partway through the year.

How bleeding heart fits zone 3's season

Zone 3b's frost-free window runs about 98 days, from May 30 to September 5. Bleeding Heart takes about 1 growing season to reach full flowering, so what matters here is how many of these seasons it gets, not whether one is long enough.

Bleeding Heart is hardy in zones 3-9, so in zone 3b it stays in the ground through winter and comes back rather than being replanted. Allow about 2 ft of spread at maturity.

Good companions

No standout companions recorded yet for Bleeding Heart.

Where to buy bleeding heart seeds

See why we recommend these suppliers →

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page also go to other retailers we may earn a commission from as an affiliate, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products with a genuine consensus of positive, independent reviews. See the sources cited on each item.