I have had the very same problem!! I sure don't understand it. Strangely enough, I've got a tiny one coming up and already has blooms on it and I have no clue where it came from. I sure don't remember planting it.
I'm also interested in knowing why they don't return. I was wondering if mine were having to compete with the other plants or trees for nutrients and couldn't make it.

I found the one I planted had rotted. The soil was too wet this winter. Other plants around it made it just fine.

Perhaps when they dies back, they really die of heat stroke........roots and all. Simple to grow in the PNW.

Libby

I planted one once, and it croaked. I think our summer climate is just too severe for them.

Just one more in a long line of plants that I avoid thinking about.

Nell

I have twice tried growing Bleeding Heart. The first time was about 20 years ago in another location. My plant died, never even making it to its first bloom. I couldn't afford to replace it. I had four little kids to feed.

About four years ago, I finally bought another one to try. I planted it in a large pot and set it in filtered shade, but where it got a little too much sun in the afternoon. It bloomed a little the first spring and grew a lot. I was delighted. When it went dormant, I thought,"Well, that's that" because I didn't know one thing about growing them. I left it in the big pot sitting out in the garden all winter and it was a cold, wet winter that year. The next spring - nothing. As the days passed, still no signs of life. By May, I decided it was dead, and thought I would use the pot for something else. A few days later I saw sprouts coming up in the pot. It lived in that pot all winter without any protection. Wow!

As it began to grow, it filled that pot, so I divided it and set the two plants out into the rose garden. They bloomed, but went dormant really early - too hot. So I moved the largest clump over by my Lady Elsie May Rose on the east side of the patio where it got afternoon shade and its feet were cooler. It sprang into action and bloomed like crazy.

By the following year, Lady Elsie May had really grown and she nearly covered the area where the Bleeding Heart grows, but lo and behold, it came back and bloomed even better.

I left the smaller clump where it was and it struggled along in the sun. I really didn't expect it to come back this spring. This year, however, it not only came back up, but it has grown big and strong and is blooming beautifully. Long arching branches reaching out into the garden path and covered in amazing blooms. Little pink and white hearts dancing across my garden path. So dainty and sweet! Who'd'a thunk! :)

The bigger clump under the rose is all but totally covered by the rose's branches this year. It was the first to emerge, and it is blooming too, but it did not get as broad or make the long arching branches like the other one has with more sun.

As for winter rot in soggy, cold soil, that makes a lot of sense. My soil is a very sandy loam, so I must water every day when the temps are high as it dries out overnight. It is never soggy. My tuberous plants don't get winter rot. I can even leave my Canna Lilies and Dahlias in the ground all winter with little to no loss.

All in all, they certainly seem to be particular about the amount of sun & water they get and daily/nightly temperatures, too.

I hope all this makes sense. Oh, my, my, but it is very late. The Sandman came when I wasn't looking and sprinkled sleepy dust in my eyes.

sweetannie4u

Thank you all for your answers. I feel better now. Maybe it's not just my brown thumb! I had always heard how EASY it is to grow and I *thought* my zone was also safe for it. Apparently not! I'll walk right by it without blinking an eye in the future. Oh, but isn't that little bloom adorable? Annie and Libby, I'm jealous of your success! ;)

If you get lucky, Bleeding Heart can continue to come back in your garden year after year and become quite large. Mine did, but I can't recall how many years. A white variety planted in the orchard under the apple trees also performed well for a great number of years, even if it only managed to send up one stalk with a few blooms towards the end. Both were planted in a spot that got lots of moisture but also drained well.

When I was out this morning, I stopped to check the Bleeding Heart clump under the rose bush and oh, my goodness! It has gotten VERY big all of a sudden! It is huge! Lots of flowers. So, the rose isn't overpowering it after all. I am so glad I don't need to move it after all.

bamateacha:
Maybe you could create a special area for planting Bleeding Hearts. You know, dig out a BIG area & about a foot deep; add some builder's sand to your soil and even a little gravel mixed in at the bottom. Then mix together compost, some builder's sand and your existing soil to create your new topsoil and plant a Bleeding Heart in this new environment that will drain. I think it would work.

I have had to do that in reverse when planting acid-loving plants. I replace my alkaline, sandy soil with acid, humus rich soil that will hold moisture. I mix in lots of peat and leaf mold and compost and it works, so why couldn't you do the reverse?
Worth a try.

~Annie

My bleeding heart returns it seems overnight. This is what I saw this morning:

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Ahhh, what cute little pink tootsies!

Ahhh!! So thats what is sprouting!!
Thank you schoolhouse for posting that pic!

Bleeding Hearts really do prefer the shade, if that's part of the problem.

Mine were coming back until today. I am hoping that the freezing rain, snow & cold temps don't damage everything too badly. *sigh*

The only place I was finally able to grow it successfully, is in a wet shade next to hydrangea. Last year it grew so tall (5 ft or so). I had no idea it can reach this hight. Looked very nice with hostas.

Mine thrive and self seed in very dark shade. Effortless and bloom for a very long time (almost 2 months) Because it's so shady, the ground stays moist. Is yours in shade and moist soil?

Mine are in semi-shade in one spot and dappled sun under trees in another.

Yep...mostly shade and moist. I think Nell's right--I just need to recognize that some plants just aren't going to thrive here and bleeding heart is probably one of those.

-Sharon

im ready to plant a bleeding heart, the area that i have picked out for it has morning sun abd full shade the rest of the day. but my question is the area were i want to plant it is sandy like beach sand. what do i need to do to the soil before planting. this is my first bleeding heart down here in fl. i grew them in nj with no problems at all. thanks for any help with the soil.