When does Bleeding Heart emerge in Zone 5? Plus siting question

10 years ago

Chicago area. I bought 2 large potted ones last year (the old fashioned kind, Dicentra spectabilis, one pink, one Alba ). Plus I planted a small white bareroot about two years ago, which actually came up and bloomed last spring, to my surprise, considering what an unimpressive thing it was as a single root about as thick as my little finger and twice as long.

I'm making plans for where to put the 6 new bareroot Dicentra spectabilis ones I just bought. The new ones have mostly huge, impressive roots. If the ones planted last spring and the spring before don't make it, then I'd like to plug in one of these. I opened them all up to see if they were dry. None have sprouted, though one of the ones I bought today has a bit of mold on it. Is the moldy one likely to die, and best returned?

The rest will go in a shade bed with ash trees that is mostly hosta, astilbe, and true geraniums later in the season. In early spring it has bulbs and Virginia Bluebells.

How does the height and bloom time of Bleeding Heart compare with Virginia Bluebells?

With these other plants, does this seem like a good environment for bleeding heart? Thanks for the help.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
10 years ago
My D spectabilis are just beginning to flower and they are about 2 feet tall. They will be 3 feet by the time they are in full bloom. I find that they get taller if they are under some shade as mine are. They are in with ferns, pulmonaria, bulbs and hellebores. Your situation seems just fine for them.

I don't think the mouldy one will be a problem if the mould is just external. Packaged perennials often get a bit due to the airless and slightly damp atmosphere in the bag.
laceyvail 6A, WV
10 years ago
They're not up yet in zone 6, so give them some time. And they are much, much larger than Va. bluebells. However the bluebells will seed all over. Of course, they disappear completely as do other spring ephemerals.
Related Discussions
Companion planting for bleeding hearts
Q
Comments (14)
Won't lilies create the same "what to plant in front" question once the foliage starts to die back? They bloom, the candelabrum get off and in pretty short order the stalks begin their decline and aren't the most attractive things in the bed. Seems this might be one of those it depends situations, but if your ferns and hostas thrive in these dry, shaded conditions, asilbe would too. As would the ubiquitous Stella d'Oro daylily as opposed to lilium varieties - the bloom wouldn't be profuse, but the foliage stays green and upright/arching. How about helebores? Aren't they supposed to be tough perennials keeping their foliage all season?
...See More
Bleeding Heart question?
Q
Comments (37)
Thanks for your reply ~ do you happen to remember the name of this particular Lamium? I need to dig up a couple of Undulata Hostas (I suspect HVX Issue) & wish to just cover the area w/a few more silvery looking Lamium. BTW Is the *Gold Heart* boosted up or really a tall BH? The one & only I have, is the white spectabilis that keeps her string of hearts for a long time & is still doing great ~ she produced her hearts at the same time as the Daffodils flashed open. Some of the earlier heart are turning to seed pods now as well! I have a 3 babies around the mother - I suppose I could relocate them at this point right? TIA
...See More
hostas and bleeding hearts (dicentra), timing question
Q
Comments (14)
Nice photos, Paul. I will add a few, too. Patann, the Sutherland Gold Elderberry is awesome. At the same time I planted it, I also planted an Elderberry Black Beauty. It is a very slow grower, slow to leaf out in the spring and then just doesn't really do anything. In the photo below, you can see my Sambucus Sutherland Gold after 2 years...and you can hardly even make out the Sambucus Black Beauty to the left of the Sutherland) I've removed it now, and I also removed the lowest underbranches of the cedar behind it, so I've got a big opening there to stretch hostas back deep into the garden. By the way, that same year, I planted 3 more Black Beauties in another garden, and although 2 of them are alive, they also aren't thriving. That's why I call it a dud plant. There is a newer cutleaf black sambucus called Sambucus Nigra Black Lace. I haven't researched it, but the photos are gorgeous. I may try that in another spot and if it does well, consider adding it into my hosta bed. These are June photos. The Sutherland Gold has gorgeous bark and form. The buds are extremely beautiful before it even leafs out. Then, it has this wonderful chartreuse look that is very reminiscent of some of the Japanese Maples. I do wish they'd maintain their chartreuse throughout the summer , as it depreciates into a pretty darklime green in mid July. Overall, I'd give this shrub a 9.75 for ease and beauty. Here is a link that might be useful: black nigra black lace photos
...See More
Bleeding Hearts Question
Q
Comments (3)
Kathy, I have been thinking about your question ever since I read it on Monday, and I have tried to determine what I would do....but it is hard, because we are so warm here in my part of the state that our ground never really freezes, so I personally would plant them outside whenever they arrive. (That is, assuming the soil drains well enough that they wouldn't rot over the course of the winter.) However, your winters are more cold and more harsh than ours, so, if I were you, I think maybe I'd try to find some good-sized peat pots...the really big ones that are 5" or 6". (You can order them online from greenhouse suppliers.) Then, when the bleeding hearts arrive, I'd plant one per peat pot in a sterile potting mix, grow them indoors in a cooler area of the house under lights and hope for the best. In the spring, when it is time to put them into the ground, soak the peat pots in water until they soften up really well, then slash a huge "X" in the bottom of the pot before planting it. The 'X' slash gives an 'escape route' for the roots to grow down into the native soil because sometimes peat pots get so dry in the ground that they are hard for the roots to penetrate. Or, you could slice off the entire bottom of the pot before planting. Alternately, you might be able to keep the bleeding hears in perforated bags of peat moss or vermiculite in cold storage in your refrigerator, although I am not 100% comfortable with this option. With a refrigerator that is used for food, for example, it is hard to keep the temperature and humidity at exactly what the overwintering roots need. If you had a dorm mini-fridge, you might be able to do it, though. I am fairly certain that the wholesalers keep these types of dormant roots in cold storage until they ship them to retailers in the springtime, but I don't know what temperatures they use for which plants. (You might find out by googling though.) If you aren't comfortable with either of these options, you might contact the customer service people at the company from who you have ordered the bleeding hearts and ask them what they advise you to do. My best guess is they'll tell you to go ahead and plant them, but that's just a guess. Bleeding hearts are very cold hardy, so they ought to be able to handle being planted in the ground in soil that is still somewhat warm in late fall. However, if the soil cools rapidly because of hard freezes or a prolonged cold spell early in the season, there's a chance the bleeding hearts' roots wouldn't be able to grow much this fall, leaving them vulnerable to death by freezing. Good luck, Dawn
...See More
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks to you both. Floral_uk, that picture is luscious!

2 to 3 feet tall, that is pretty tall. I have wanted some for so long, that the temptation for the ash tree bed has to put them right down in front. I will resist and put them in the back. The bluebells are in the middle; the bed is about 10 feet deep and 40 feet long. The bluebells are gradually seeding, but not taking over by any means. The foliage disappearing works out okay for that spot. I mostly just wanted those large flowers. If I decide I want some in the front, and persistent foliage, I guess IÃ¢ÂÂd better get some fern leaf types as well.

Perhaps I should go ahead and plant 4, and just save 2 as the fill ins for the first bed if the potted ones planted there donÃ¢ÂÂt make it. I am concerned about how long I can keep these bareroot, though. I have them in the cool dark garage.

Laceyvail, do you have both? Bleeding heart and bluebells? If so, do they bloom at more or less the same time?
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
its a soil warmth thing.. and in this case .... rather deep ...

these arent plants with roots just in the first few inches..

they have carrot like taproots that can go down 8 inches or so ...

so for us... i would be looking for them in june ... since we are already a few weeks behind in soil temps ... [its usually right after i presume they are dead... lol]

the real trick.. is not planting anything on top of them ... before they show up ...

ken
gardenweed_z6a
10 years ago
My bleeding heart isn't up yet here in Z6a northern CT. According to my garden diary, mine sent up new growth March 21 in 2012 so they're definitely late thanks to our frigid winter.

linnea56 - in my photos I seem to recall them blooming the same time as my Virginia bluebells.
linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author
10 years ago
The area the old ones are in is in a protected nook. The Virginia bluebells there are 3 inches high, whereas in the ash tree bed those are just little purple points showing a bit.

I checked today and something is just emerging in 2 of the likely locations. One has reddish leaves, and the other solid light green, which could correspond to the pink bleeding heart and the white. Or, the first one could be purple leaved cimicifuga, though I donÃ¢ÂÂt think that shows up this early. And the second one could beÃ¢ÂÂ¦umm...something else. :)

I can tell I donÃ¢ÂÂt want to work, if IÃ¢ÂÂm trolling the garden looking minutely like this.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
10 years ago
The pink flowered Dicentra/Lamprocapnos spectabilis will come up reddish. Once you've spotted it you'll see it rocket up really fast. I find the white L spectabilis to be much weaker growing. While the pink are flowering now the white isn't even visible yet and I fear it's a goner, yet again.
laceyvail 6A, WV
10 years ago
No, bleeding heart and VA bluebells don't bloom at the same time. The bluebells are coming into bloom now and the bleeding heart isn't even up yet.

When does Bleeding Heart emerge in Zone 5? Plus siting question

Comments (8)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

laceyvail 6A, WV

Related Discussions

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

gardenweed_z6a

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

laceyvail 6A, WV

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

When does Bleeding Heart emerge in Zone 5? Plus siting question

Comments (8)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

laceyvail 6A, WV

Related Discussions

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)Original Author

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

gardenweed_z6a

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)Original Author

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

laceyvail 6A, WV

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author

linnea56 (zone 5b Chicago)
Original Author