Dicentra 'King of Hearts'
Wild bleeding heart, Pacific bleeding heart
Also known as Dicentra formosa 'King of Hearts'
- Height × spread
- 0.25m × 0.3m
- Position
- Tolerates full sun, likes part shade, likes light shade
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Flowers
- Spring, Summer
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
This late spring and early summer flowering plant, (often dormant by late summer), combines rather delicate, ferny, grey-green foliage with lush coloured heads of individually heart-shaped blooms. The plump hearts have short recurved petals at their mouth. They are coloured a rich soft red and open from dusky purple buds. The flowers are held above the foliage on long pinkish-beige stalks. The stems are often bowed by the weight of the dangling flower clusters. This can look attractive in a container or grown in small groups in partly shaded positions at the feet of shrubs.
- Flower colour
- Red
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- No
- Shape
- Dome
- Height
- 0.25m
- Spread
- 0.3m
- Season of interest
- Spring, Summer
- Flowers in
- Spring, Summer
- Evergreen
- Deciduous
- Garden style
- Small scale garden, Cottage garden
- Sun or shade
- Tolerates full sun, likes part shade, likes light shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, Neutral
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil
- Hardiness
- Cold to -15C (RHS H5)
- Borders & containers
- Borders and containers
- Use for
- Ground cover, Bee attraction
- Maintenance
- Easycare – low/no maintenance
- Hazards
- No
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water to keep the soil moist
For best results, this plant needs soil that is always moist. Water deeply and regularly as soon as soil appears dry. Even for established plants in the ground, a dry week can cause problems with some soils. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather. Or install an automatic irrigation system which will do the hard work for you, even when you are away on holiday.
Without regular watering some plants never fully regain their beauty.
Spring - early-mid · Planting
Divide when too large
The plant can be divided if it becomes too large or another plant is required. This may involve physically dividing the clump in two, removing offsets or small bulbs or dividing rhizomes. The new plants can be grown in pots or planted in the ground.
Summer
Summer - early · Outdoors
Feed a general fertiliser
Where plants have moderate needs for nutrients, they can simply be given a general feed, fairly early in the growth season so that the growth has plenty of time to harden off before the cold weather.
Give plants a general boost with the application of a general purpose fertiliser which is spread around the root area of the plant, with amounts as directed on the feed label.
Found in
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