Asian Bleeding Heart

Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis, Papaveraceae; formerly Dicentra spectabilis) is a perennial from northeast China, Korea, and Japan, reaching 2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide. Heart-shaped pink and white flowers hang in drooping racemes of 7 to 15 flowers from April to June. Fern-like, three-lobed foliage is attractive but goes dormant by mid-summer.

Bleeding heart grows in part shade on moist loamy soil, hardy in Zones 3a to 9b. It tolerates deer browse and black walnut proximity and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant contains isoquinoline alkaloids; contact may cause skin irritation. Companion planting with later-emerging perennials masks the gap left by summer dormancy. No significant pest or disease issues are documented.