Top Shade Perennials: Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)

Delicate, heart-shaped blooms dangle from arching stems in early spring. Each individual flower has outer petals that form a heart shape with the inner petals and stamen that take on the appearance of a droplet, hence the name Bleeding Heart. Most often, the blooms are pink, but they are available in red and white as well. Bleeding Heart can be referred to as a “Goldilocks plant” as it likes the soil just right; not too dry and not too wet. That being said, Bleeding Heart is an easy to grow perennial for spots that need early season color.