Getting it to bloom

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

Also called fringed bleeding heart, wild bleeding heart, turkey corn (Dicentra eximia).

More about fringed bleeding heart

About Fringed Bleeding Heart

Dicentra eximia · also called fringed bleeding heart, wild bleeding heart · flowering

Fringed bleeding heart is a clumping North American woodland perennial with fern-like blue-green foliage and dangling rose-pink heart-shaped flowers. Unlike old-fashioned bleeding heart, it blooms repeatedly from spring into autumn and rarely goes summer-dormant. It thrives in cool, moist, humus-rich shade and is hardy through most temperate gardens.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Aphids: Soft new growth attracts aphids that distort buds and stems. Rinse off with water or treat with insecticidal soap.

The reasons fringed bleeding heart isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming fringed 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 fringed 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 fringed bleeding heart to flower

Maximise sun. Give fringed 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 fringed bleeding heart and get the feeding right with the fringed 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

Fringed 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 fringed bleeding heart care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Fringed Bleeding Heart blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my fringed bleeding heart flower?

Fringed 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 fringed bleeding heart bloom?

Give fringed 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 fringed bleeding heart normally bloom?