Bleeding heart (Dicentra 'Luxuriant')
Discover Dicentra 'Luxuriant' Bleeding heart. This low-maintenance perennial offers cherry red flowers and attractive fern-like foliage in part shade zones 3-9.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Dicentra ‘Luxuriant’, commonly known as Bleeding heart, is a prized herbaceous perennial valued for its exceptionally long blooming period compared to some of its relatives. Gardeners adore this selection for the nodding, cherry-red, heart-shaped flowers that dangle gracefully above mounds of deeply cut, fern-like foliage. This hybrid brings robust habit and persistent visual interest to shaded garden spaces.
This species thrives best when provided with rich, consistently moist, and well-drained soil, reflecting its native origins in cool, damp woodlands. While it is an exceptionally low-maintenance plant once established, attention to moisture retention, especially during hot summers, is key to keeping the attractive foliage looking fresh. The enduring beauty of good gray-green leaves combines perfectly with the delicate, signature blooms of the Bleeding heart.
The genus name, Dicentra, refers to the two spurs on each heart-shaped flower, a unique trait that lends the common name Bleeding heart when the inner petals appear to drip a drop of blood. Planting Dicentra ‘Luxuriant’ ensures reliable color and texture in areas where sun exposure limits other flowering plants, making it an indispensable element in temperate woodland garden designs.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Papaveraceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 3-9
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 1-1.5 ft
- Spread: 1-1.5 ft
- Bloom Time: May
- Bloom Description: Cherry red
- Sun Exposure: Part shade
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
Plant your Dicentra ‘Luxuriant in the spring or early fall when conditions are moderate. Locate it in a spot that receives part shade, mimicking the dappled light of a woodland setting. The soil preparation is critical; ensure the ground is amended with plenty of organic matter to create rich, fertile, humusy soil. While these Bleeding heart plants tolerate average soils, consistently moist conditions are necessary for optimal performance.
Watering should be consistent, aiming for medium moisture levels throughout the growing season. It is imperative that the soil is not allowed to dry out during the summer heat, as drought stress will cause the foliage to decline rapidly. Conversely, avoid planting in areas where soil remains waterlogged, particularly in winter, as Dicentra ‘Luxuriant is intolerant of wet winter feet.
Maintenance for this perennial is generally low. After the main flush of bloom subsides, promptly remove spent flowering stems. This simple pruning encourages reblooming, especially in cooler climates or later in the season when temperatures moderate. Minimal fertilization is usually required if the initial soil preparation was adequate.
Landscape Uses
The charming presentation of the Bleeding heart makes it ideal for creating soft transitions in the garden. Dicentra ‘Luxuriant performs beautifully when massed together to create a dense carpet of foliage and color beneath high canopy trees in woodland gardens. They also serve well as informal edging plants along shaded borders or tucked into rock gardens where supplemental moisture can be provided.
Because the foliage of Dicentra ‘Luxuriant often remains handsome all season, it provides excellent contrast against broader-leafed shade lovers such as hostas or ferns. The delicate texture of its leaves pairs well with coarser textures in the understory. Use these plants as specimen features where their nodding red flowers can capture attention without competition from brighter, full-sun blooms.
When flowers are not in bloom, the attractive, finely dissected foliage of this perennial remains highly appealing, effectively suppressing weeds by creating an attractive groundcover effect where it is allowed to spread naturally under ideal moisture conditions.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
- Good Cut
Noteworthy Characteristics
Dicentra is a genus of 20 or more species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants which are native to moist woodland areas in Asia and North America. Plants feature pendant, two-spurred, heart-shaped flowers atop mounds of deeply dissected leaves. A number of cultivars have been produced in recent years which are hybrid crosses between D. Peregrine (native to alpine areas of China and eastern Siberia) and D. Eximea (native to woodland areas of eastern North America) in which the goal was to produce a dicentra with a compact and robust habit, long flowering period, blue-gray foliage and quality flower colors. The genus name comes from the Greek words dis meaning twice and kentron meaning a spur for the two-spurred flowers. Flowers in the genus Dicentra are commonly called Bleeding heart because protruding inner petals, more obvious in some species than others, purportedly appear to form a drop of blood at the bottom of each heart-shaped flower. ‘Luxuriant’ features deeply-cut, fern-like, grayish-green foliage which persists throughout the growing season and cherry red, nodding, heart-shaped flowers carried above the foliage on long, leafless, leaning stems. Given adequate moisture, foliage remains attractive in summer, and may produce an attractive groundcover effect.
Tolerances
- Rabbit
Potential Problems
This variety of Bleeding heart rarely suffers from serious insect or disease issues, establishing itself as a resilient choice for the shaded garden. However, gardeners should be aware of some susceptibility to aphid infestations, which can usually be managed with horticultural sprays if necessary. Fungal issues like powdery mildew, downy mildew, verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, and rust can occasionally occur, especially in overly humid or poorly sited locations.
The most crucial preventative measure against disease is ensuring excellent soil drainage, particularly during the dormant season, as Dicentra ‘Luxuriant cannot tolerate saturated winter soils. Furthermore, vulnerable new spring growth may be targeted by slugs and snails; employ standard organic controls, such as beer traps or diatomaceous earth, early in the season to protect the emerging foliage of your Dicentra ‘Luxuriant plantings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Dicentra ‘Luxuriant’ suitable for?
This lovely Bleeding heart variety, Dicentra ‘Luxuriant’, is very adaptable, thriving reliably across USDA Zones 3 through 9.
How large does Bleeding heart grow?
When mature, this graceful perennial typically reaches a height between 1 to 1.5 feet tall, with a similar spread of 1 to 1.5 feet wide.
What sun exposure does Dicentra ‘Luxuriant’ need?
For the best flowering and foliage health, Dicentra ‘Luxuriant requires part shade conditions, avoiding intense afternoon sun exposure.
When does Bleeding heart bloom?
The primary bloom time for this variety is typically in May, presenting stunning cherry-red, nodding flowers.
Conclusion
The Dicentra ‘Luxuriant offers a distinctive combination of long-lasting color and elegant foliage structure, establishing itself as a shade garden staple. Offering low maintenance and beautiful cherry-red blooms, the Bleeding heart brings reliable vertical accents to woodland settings. Ensure rich, consistently moist soil and part shade, and plan to incorporate this hybrid into your shaded beds before the spring planting window closes.
Companion Planting
When selecting companions for Dicentra ‘Luxuriant, prioritize plants that share its preference for cool, moist, humus-rich soil and part shade. Classic woodland partners include various Hosta cultivars, especially those with chartreuse or blue foliage to contrast the gray-green leaves of the Bleeding heart.
Ferns like Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum) provide wonderful textural contrast and appreciate similar soil moisture levels. Spring ephemeral bulbs, such as Daffodils or Snowdrops, often finish flowering just as the Dicentra ‘Luxuriant begins its main display, offering a smooth seasonal transition.
Consider plants that offer summer interest, as the bloom of this Bleeding heart may wane in extreme heat. Astilbe, with its airy plumes, works excellently alongside the heart-shaped flowers, offering different flower forms while tolerating the same shaded, damp environment.
Design Ideas for Shady Borders
Utilizing Dicentra ‘Luxuriant near the edge of a path allows gardeners to fully appreciate the unique heart shape of the flowers up close. Because they grow to about 1 to 1.5 feet tall, position taller shade companions, like large ferns or tall Solomon’s Seal, behind them to create effective depth in the border layer.
For a dramatic, monochromatic effect, combine Dicentra ‘Luxuriant with white-flowering shade plants such as White Coral Bells (Heuchera) or white Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra spectabilis ‘Alba’), focusing on texture as the primary element of variation. The deep green texture of Pachysandra can serve as a year-round groundcover base for the perennial display.
Grouping three or five of the Bleeding heart plants together, rather than scattering them individually, maximizes the visual impact of their foliage mounds, making them appear more established and robust, particularly when their cherry-red flowers appear in May.
