Plant of the Month April

paul • 15 April 2026

Dicentra Spectabilis

Bleeding Heart & Alba

The Asian Bleeding Heart grows to 120cm tall and around 45cm wide. It is an herbaceous perennial with 3 lobed compact leaves on a fleshy green, pink stem. The arching horizontal flower spikes of up to 20 flowers are a bright fuchsia pink while the inners are white (Bleeding Heart), and all white on the Alba. The flower resembles a heart hence the common name of bleeding heart.


Plant a bleeding heart in partial shade and rich, well-drained soil. you can plant the bleeding heart as a bare root so the crown is 1 to 2" below the soil if planted to deep the crown may rot. Or plant as a fully cultivated plant the delicate flowers will need protection from the wind so put in a sheltered spot.

Dicentra is an ideal plant for in a woodland garden.


Dicentra is an excellent pollinator particularly for the early season Bees love its nectar rich flowers and are a vital food source in a shaded garden.


Excellent companion plants include shade-loving perennials like hostas, ferns, astilbe, pulmonaria, and Heuchera which fill in the space when dicentra goes dormant in summer.

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