Bleeding Heart - cold hardy, right?!
mstywoods
13 years ago
It's supposed to get down to 22 degrees in Denver area tonight!! I'm covering up some of my plants, but am wondering if my Bleeding Heart will be ok. It looks really good this year, so would hate to see it damaged. But Bleeding Hearts are cold hardy, aren't they? It should be ok even in the 20's I think. It's been in the ground for a couple of years, so definitely acclaimated.
Should I cover it just to be safe?!
P.S. this is the only bunny I don't mind in my yard! Thought maybe it would scare off the real bunnies, with his cold stare, but so far no luck ;^)
Thanks,
Marj
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (12)
mstywoods
13 years agoRelated Discussions
'Luxurient' bleeding heart plant
Comments (10)perennials that come from deep in the ground.. require said ground to warm to the level of the root zone ... to start active3 growth .... a few days of warm air.. does not warm the soil to depth ... and proof of that.. is the fact that the plant has not shown yet ... even in my z5 ... they usually pop up.. weeks after i have given up hope.. lol ... being that February ended mere hours ago .. even in z7.. i suspect you are a bit early in worrying about whether it is still alive ... mark the spot so you dont go planting annuals over the spot.. and give it another month or so ... all that said.. maybe luxuriant is different than others... but how much different can it be... be patient ... its only 3/1 ... your spring fever does not make plants pop out of the earth .... warm earth does ... and how many days ... at how much heat ... at the root zone ... for the plant to become active .. is most likely .. not known .... which is otherwise known as the vagaries of mother nature .... or at least.. that is what i call it ... ken...See Morewhen to plant Bleeding Heart tubers?
Comments (9)Bare rootstock in a plastic bag can be planted in a pot for now. Make sure what you buy is still "fleshy" and not dried up and brittle. In fact, and as a back up plan, Dicentra Spectabilis is pretty commonly available from the Big boxes to good garden centers and they tend to be reasonably priced and grown to the point where they would/should bloom this season. You should be able to find one grown plant for the price of your two rootstock pieces.) Get a good potting mix and you can probably put both pieces of root in one 10" pot. Plant @ 2" deep. Water but do not soak and keep the potted up rootstock in the garage until the appropriate time for outdoor planting in your zone. Protect the container from any more extreme cold you might still get by wrapping it with insulation like bubble wrap etc. Just wrap, don't smother it in a closed plastic tent. Once your soil is workable, transplant outside - easy to do when the plants are small and there's less chance for breakage. Shade/part shade is fine for them. I should think the north side of your deck is bright shade as opposed to dense shade? It's a lovely plant, mine started to self seed over the last season or so and I've been getting very transplantable plantlets cropping up here and there....See MoreBleeding Heart dead? Why?
Comments (6)Hi all I lost pink bleeding hearts that were over 25 years old. They rotted away. The white bleeding hearts in the raised bed in the front of the house are blooming so I am guessing an excess of moisture (although how that happened with no snow, I don't know!) and putting a whole leaf mulch on top did them and tons of my other perennials in. About the only things that survived were my ostrich ferns (they grow like weeds) and a couple of cimifugas. My bergenias are barely alive. I am almost back to square one in my perennial garden... rather discouraging... Danni...See MoreProblem with Bleeding Heart
Comments (7)Old fashioned bleeding hearts, Dicentra spectabiliswhat you haveÂgoes dormant in summer, so thatÂs probably at least part of the problem youÂre having, but they do prefer shade or mostly shade, so if itÂs in mostly sun, or very much hot midday sun, itÂll probably do better if you move it. Do you have a picture of it now? If itÂs mostly dormant alreadyÂpretty yellow lookingÂyou might want to wait till right after itÂs done blooming next spring. If it still doesnÂt look too bad, you could move it now, but then expect it to completely yellow and "go away" for the rest of the summer. May or may not get a little bit of foliage in fall, but probably not. If you move it now, water it in very well after transplanting it, and then just water it "normally" for the rest of the summerÂthat means water the same as you would for anything else planted in the area. If you move it now, be sure you mark where itÂs planted so you donÂt accidentally dig into it after itÂs dormantÂand donÂt freak out when it immediately yellows and looks like itÂs dying! Bleeding hearts are amazingly resilient things, and itÂll be back next springÂpossibly TOO early, and the foliage and/or buds or flowers could freeze if we get a hard freeze after it puts in itÂs appearance (covering works in all but the most extreme cold!) There isnÂt a lot of COLOR for planting in shade, but there definitely are blooming things you can use. I donÂt have a lot of time right now for detailed info, but a few of them are: Thalictrum, Aruncus/goatsbeard, Bergenia, Primula/primrosesÂlots of different types (some donÂt like heat very much!), Heuchera/coral bellsÂboth the ones with green leaves and "red" flowers and the ones with the beautifully colored foliage, Lamium (groundcover), saxifrage, Lewisia (mine are in too much sun!), GeraniumsÂthe perennial onesÂcranesbill, Digitalis/foxgloveÂcommon ones are biennial/short lived, most of the Campanulas can go with just a couple hours direct sun, same with most of the columbine, forget-me-nots, some lilies (oriental and a few others), Polemonium/JacobÂs ladder, Tiarella, Trollius, Brunnera/false forget-me-not. And then thereÂs a wonderful variety of colorful foliage and the different foliage sizes, textures, and heights of HostasÂthey bloom, but mostly theyÂre grown for the great foliage. And ferns, while they donÂt bloom, can add a wonderful dimension to shade gardens. I just scrolled thru a couple of my albums, and here are some of the things on the north side of my (2-story) house. Mid summer they get a little bit of very early morning and very late afternoon direct sun. If you want to know what something is, click on the picture and youÂll be able to see the captionÂI think I only linked ones that are captioned! If you have any questions, let me know! Skybird...See More
oakiris
13 years agooakiris
13 years agomstywoods
13 years agooakiris
13 years ago
b2alicia
13 years agoSo glad I read this!
Last spring I bought a bleeding heart bulb, and grew it in a pot until May, then put it in the ground. I wasn't sure it would even survive.
And then, last week, I saw THIS!! Little baby flowers!
{{gwi:1192822}}And here it is today. It still seems pretty frail to me, (especially after seeing msty's!), so I will definitely cover it tonight.
Thanks!
Bettyconace55
13 years agoSkybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
13 years agomstywoods
12 years agoWow - I thought my bleeding heart looked good last year, but this year it's even better :^) Here's a pic I took today, same spot I took the one last year. As you can see, it has grown quite a bit (compare it to the pic on my original post at top of this thread)!!
It's happy, and I'm happy too!
Marj
jnfr
12 years agob2alicia
12 years ago
Related Stories
LANDSCAPE DESIGNGreat Design Plant: Retreat to the Shade of Hardy Catalpa
Big foliage and a towering height provide a shady respite in summer, but that's not all hardy catalpa offers dedicated gardeners
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Dicentra Eximia Brightens Shady Gardens
This North American bleeding heart species blooms from spring to fall and welcomes bees and hummingbirds
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDES12 Japanese Maples for a Sunny Garden
The right maple in the right place shines in hot summer sun
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGN9 Flooring Types for a Charming Country Kitchen
For hardiness and a homespun country look, consider these kitchen floor choices beyond brand-new wood
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Eastern Redbud
With romantic pink blooms and heart-shape leaves, this ornamental tree has been inspiring affection since the days of the founding fathers
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNDesign Workshop: How to Analyze Your Outdoor Site
Getting to know your site is the first step to creating a wonderful garden. Follow this 10-point checklist to get it right
Full Story
DECORATING GUIDESLearn When to Splurge for True Design Happiness
Sometimes treating yourself is exactly right — despite that whole impracticality thing
Full Story
BEDROOMSHouzz Quiz: What Color Should You Paint Your Bedroom Walls?
Cool and soothing, or warm and spicy? Answer these questions and learn what hue is right for you
Full Story
Houzz Call: Show Us Your Paint Makeovers
Let your newly repainted house or room do the "How d'ya like me now?" strut right here — it might just be featured in an upcoming ideabook
Full Story
RANCH HOMESHouzz Tour: Ranch House Changes Yield Big Results
An architect helps homeowners add features, including a new kitchen, that make their Minnesota home feel just right
Full StorySponsored
Columbus Area's Luxury Design Build Firm | 17x Best of Houzz Winner!
Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado