Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Bleeding Heart bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Bleeding heart, Old-fashioned bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis).

More about bleeding heart

About Bleeding Heart

Lamprocapnos spectabilis · also called Bleeding heart, Old-fashioned bleeding heart · flowering

Old-fashioned bleeding heart is a graceful shade perennial that hangs rows of heart-shaped pink-and-white lockets along arching stems in late spring. Fully hardy and easy in moist woodland soil, it often goes summer-dormant in heat, dying back after flowering. Its ferny foliage and pendant blooms make it a cottage-garden favourite for cool, partly shaded borders.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Summer dormancy mistaken for death: Foliage naturally yellows and dies back after flowering, especially in heat; this is normal dormancy, not death. Mark the spot and avoid digging into the resting crown.

The reasons bleeding heart isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming bleeding heart traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding bleeding heart a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get bleeding heart to flower

Maximise sun. Give bleeding heart the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for bleeding heart and get the feeding right with the bleeding heart fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Bleeding Heart flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full bleeding heart care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Bleeding Heart blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my bleeding heart flower?

Bleeding Heart blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make bleeding heart bloom?

Give bleeding heart the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does bleeding heart normally bloom?