Japanese Bleeding Heart Lamprocapnos spectabilis

Asian bleeding heart is an erect herbaceous perennial in the Papaveraceae family.   The common name is derived from the exerted inner petals "bleeding" from the outer heart-shaped petals

Found growing in shady forests the delicate arching branches are tipped with pink to white flowers reach a height and width of 2 to 3 feet. Plant in partial shade in well drained moist soils.  Heavy soils will be problematic for this plant.  Delicate blooms will appear late spring to early summer.  The fern-like foliage yellows and drops by mid-summer after blooming when plant dries out, but adequate water can extend the time the leaves remain on the plant. While this plant goes dormant during the summer in warm areas, but it can be forced to flower on Valentine's Day by bringing dormant rhizomes into a cool greenhouse in late winter.   Propagate this plant through seeds or divide them in the fall or spring.  

Plant in a cutting or woodland garden, a shade border, or use as a filler plant. Think about the empty space this plant will make in the late summer, early fall, and winter and plan accordingly.   The native Dicentra eximia has longer blooming period, and more dissected, fine-textured leaves, replacing this old-time garden favorite. 

Quick ID Hints:

• Herb with a basal rosette of ternately decompound leaves
• Petals heart-shaped with a reflexed apical lobe

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  No serious insect problems though aphids are occasional visitors. 

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.