13 Types Of Bleeding Heart Plants That Fill Your Garden With Lovely Flowers

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

With their heart-shaped blooms, bleeding hearts are among the best perennial plants that bring timeless beauty, a sense of romance, and whimsy to your outdoor space. While there are numerous species and cultivars that fall under the bleeding hearts umbrella, these plants have some muddled botanical classification. Bleeding hearts, both climbing and non-climbing, were formerly grouped together and known simply as "Dicentras," but they are now categorized into three genera: Lamprocapnos, Dactylicapnos, and Dicentras. Many Dicentra species, also known as Dutchman's breeches, are native to the U.S., and they blooms in spring and summer. On the other hand, Lamprocapnos types are commonly known as Asian, Japanese, or old-fashioned bleeding hearts. This exotic plant tends to bloom in spring and has very showy valentine-shaped blooms. Lastly, Dactylicapnos captures the climbing varieties of bleeding hearts, which are native to the Himalayas and southwestern China.

Whether you grow the old-fashioned type, the U.S. native wildflowers, or a hybrid in your garden, count bleeding hearts among the shade plants that attract hummingbirds and other pollinators to your yard. Grow them if you have a spot in full shade or part shade where the soil stays moist, is rich in organic matter, and drains well. The recommended USDA Hardiness zone will vary depending on the type, so to successfully care for your bleeding heart plants, know your own zone and choose a compatible variety for the best results.

'Alba' is a cultivar of Lamprocapnos spectabilis that produces graceful arcs of pendulous, heart-shaped, white blooms on 3-foot plants. This showy, non-climbing perennial puts on a lovely floral show in late spring and early summer and will fill your garden with its pale glow at night under moonlight. And since this genus thrives in shade or part shade, its flowers will help brighten up the darker spots in your ornamental beds in zones 3 to 8.

'Amore Pink' is a low-growing cultivar of Dicentra that reaches just over a foot tall. You might fall in love with the graceful stems of pink-colored flowers borne on these plants from late spring through the end of summer. Grow this gorgeous bleeding heart variety to fill a garden in zones 5 to 9, and watch the pollinators flock to its blooms.

'Bacchanal,' a cultivar of Dicentra Formosa, is a perennial that bears wine red flowers from spring until the end of summer. This choice is perfect for growers in zones 3 to 9. The attractive blooms of this bleeding heart variety emerge from fern-like leaves on plants that reach no more than 15 inches tall. 'Bacchanal' received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 2002.

'Burning Hearts' is a stunning cultivar with blooms that might stop you in your tracks. The eye-catching flowers of this type of Dicentra are rose to red in color with white-edged tips. The inflorescences of 'Burning Hearts' rise above a mass of wispy, blueish foliage on plants that reach up to 12 inches tall. Gardeners in zones 5 to 9 can add this gorgeous bleeding heart to their ornamental beds.

'Candy Hearts' is a cultivar of Dicentra canadensis that bears beautiful, dark rose-colored blooms that are shaped like hearts from early spring all the way to fall. These bleeding hearts plants reach up to 12 inches tall and fill gardens with their delicate, blue-green foliage. 'Candy Hearts' is perfect for perennial plantings with part sun exposure located in zones 3 to 8.

If you love the looks of bleeding hearts but wish you could grow them in a sunny spot in a cool climate yard – 'Fire Island' is your answer. This lovely Dicentra hybrid has blueish green leaves and red blooms with purple tips. It's adapted to full sun or part shade and can be grown in zones 3 to 9. This plant variety grows to be 15 inches tall and fills your garden with blooms from late spring to midsummer.

If you're looking for a splash of colorful foliage as well as bright blooms, 'Gold Heart' is a must-have for growing a gorgeous, healthy shade garden. This cultivar of Lamprocapnos spectabilis has bright, yellow-green leaves and arching sprays of pink and white heart-shaped flowers. Expect this eye-catching bleeding heart plant to reach up to 2 feet tall, and reserve it for yards in zones 3 to 9.

For those looking for a light-colored floral display to fill a shady spot in the garden, 'Ivory Hearts' is a Dicentra cultivar you'll love for its compact form and delicate ivory blooms. This white-flowered type of bleeding heart reaches just 8 to 12 inches tall, making it a lovely choice for low-growing vegetation. This perennial plant with frilly, blue-green foliage blooms from late spring to early summer.

'King of Hearts' is a type of bleeding heart that provides a splash of bright pink color with its carmine flowers and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds as a welcome bonus. This beautiful hybrid Dicentra cultivar reaches up to 15 inches tall, and can fill gardens located in zones 3 to 8. 'King of Hearts' is a mounding plant with bluish green leaves that will bloom from spring to fall.

'Luxuriant' is an award-winning perennial whose long-lasting flowers will enhance your garden beds. This Dicentra cultivar has grayish-green foliage and lovely, cherry-colored flowers that brighten your yard in spring and don't stop blooming until fall. This delicately-leaved plant grows to be up to 18 inches tall and works best for yards in zones 3 to 9. 'Luxuriant' bleeding heart won an Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit.

Perennial enthusiasts on the lookout for unusual options in a bleeding heart plant will be thrilled to learn about 'Sulphur Hearts,' which has dangling, yellow flowers. This stunning Dicentra hybrid reaches up to 18 inches tall and fills the garden with blooms in late spring. This cheery variety has bluish-gray leaves and can be grown in zones 3 to 9 in cool areas.

With its showstopping, heart-shaped, red and white blooms, 'Valentine' is a type of old-fashioned bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) that is simply beautiful. These romantic-sounding flowers will entice hummingbirds to your garden in late spring in yards located from zones 3 to 9. 'Valentine' is also know by the cultivar name 'Hordival'. Plants are 30 inches tall with green, lobed leaves and will grace your yard with beautiful, arching inflorescences.

'White Gold' is an attractive cultivar of Lamprocapnos spectabilis that has gold to chartreuse leaves and pretty white flowers. This old-fashioned bleeding heart plant grows to be up to 2 feet tall, and will light up shady spots in zones 4-8 with its brightly colored foliage and ivory blooms. Expect 'White Gold' to fill your garden with flowers from the middle of spring to early summer.