Bleeding hearts, native to North America, are an outstanding choice for adding color and texture to shady or woodland settings. All species have  attractive, deeply cut foliage with charming heart-shaped flowers (these are pink) in the spring. Plan for the plants to go dormant during the heat of summer by planting close to other plants that can “fill in the gap” for a while, such as hosta or hellebores.

Bleeding heart prefers a shady spot in the garden with rich, slightly moist soil. Mulch the plants to maintain consistent soil moisture and mark their planting bed so you don’t accidentally dig them up after they go dormant in late summer. In the right conditions, some bleeding heart can grow 3 to 4 feet tall so you might need to stake them to prevent the plants from sprawling over their neighbors. Or not. It’s up to you.

Large and small sizes are pictured.
Large: large plant in 1/2-gallon pot
Small: tiny plant in 2 1/2″ pot. Don’t worry; it’ll grow.