Lamprocapnos spectabilis (Bleeding heart)

Other names: Showy bleeding heart, Dutchman's breeches, Chinaman's breeches, Locks and keys, Lyre flower, Seal flower, Old-fashioned bleeding heart, Dicentra spectabilis

ShootChecker™

STOP: Make sure you get the “Right Plant, Right Place.”

90% of plants die because they were the wrong plant choice. Shoot helps you to save valuable time and money to get the right plant choices for any garden.

Find out howHide details

How ShootChecker™ works

Get the Right Plant, Right Place

Provide details about your garden or your client's garden conditions

ShootChecker™ will help you assess if it is the right plant

Save money with Right Plant, Right Place.

Get started Book a demo

Other Shoot features

One-stop planning
Streamlined garden design and record-keeping all in one place

Monthly care advice
Receive tailored monthly care advice for plants in your garden

Present and collaborate
Share designs and care tasks with anyone

Join Shoot today to enjoy…

ShootChecker™
One-stop garden design
Monthly care advice for every plant in your garden
Saving money with Right Plant, Right Place

All you need to do is join.

Get started

Book a demo

Already a member? Sign in

Hide details

Add to plant list

1 of 7

Species

L. spectabilis is a clump-forming perennial with divided, mid-green leaves and arching stems bearing racemes of rose-pink and white flowers in late spring and early summer.

Season of interest

Flower
	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter
Flower
Foliage
	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter
Foliage

Height and spread

Metric |
Imperial

Height and spread Metric \| Imperial
Size	Max height	Max spread	To maturity
1.2 m	0.45 m	2-5 years
3 ft	1 ft	2-5 years

Height and spread

Metric |
Imperial

Size

Max height

Max spread

To maturity

1.2 m

0.45 m

2-5 years

3 ft

1 ft

2-5 years

Where to grow

Soil

Soil type

Chalky
Clay
Loamy

Soil drainage

Moist but well-drained
Moisture-retentive

Soil pH

Alkaline
Neutral

Conditions

Sunlight

Partial Shade

Aspect

East
West
North

Exposure

Sheltered

Check to see if this is the Right Plant, Right Place with ShootChecker™

Open ShootChecker™

Additional plant details

Cultivation

Plant in moist, fertile, humus-rich soil. Best in neutral or slightly alkaline soil, in part shade. Will tolerate a sunny site if the soil is keep consistently moist.

Suggested uses

Flower Arranging, Beds and borders, Cottage/Informal, Underplanting

UK hardiness

USDA zones

Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9

Sunset zone

4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 1, 2, 3

WUCOLS

North-Central Coastal = Moderate/Medium
Central Valley = Moderate/Medium
South Coastal = Moderate/Medium
South Inland = High
High and Intermediate Desert = Inappropriate
Low Desert = Inappropriate

Foliage

Deciduous

Habit

Bushy, Spreading, Arching, Branching

Native to

Japan, China, Siberia

Drought tolerant

Flood tolerant

Toxicity

Careful: All parts cause severe discomfort if eaten.

Plant care

Pruning

Cut back to the base in late autumn.

Propagation methods

Division, Root cuttings

Pests

Slugs

Diseases

Generally disease free.

Monthly care advice

Take root cuttings

Cut back hard if becoming untidy through summer (optional)

Divide and replant in spring

Divide and replant after flowering

Plant in fertile, moisture retentive soil

Plant in neutral to alkaline soil (autumn or spring)

Other plants

Related content

Having enjoyed this plant for two seasons, I began to think I had lost it as there was no sign of it coming up through the soil again (April). I now have just a few shoots. I thought by now it would be in full bloom (end of April). It doesn't seem to be growing anymore. Can someone educate me on this plant. Many thanks.

Posted: Sunday 24th of April 2016 06:02 PM Last reply: Thursday 9th of May 2024 08:16 AM

Re: Re: When does dicentra spectabilis die back?

Shoot User

1416 0

Hi. Don't know if this helps, but I cut mine back a while ago, maybe in mid-May. I've got a few little leaves popping up around the base, so it's clearly survived!

Posted: Monday 4th of July 2011 06:11 PM

Re: When does dicentra spectabilis die back?

Shoot User

1416 1

Hello, I've read all the articles on Dicentra, but I would like to know...can I cut it back now? It is huge and rather unattractive now. By the way, my Mum used to call it 'many peopleia upsidedownia'

Posted: Sunday 3rd of July 2011 06:22 PM

Re: When does dicentra spectabilis die back?

Kathy N

1416 0

Hi, Jonathon,
It should be gone by midsummer. Best to always plant with Dicentra with other shade-loving plants that are at their height of growth in summer - Ferns, Hosta or Polygonatum are some suggestions - they will cover the unsightly leaves while the Dicentra dies back and you won't have any 'holes' in the border.
Kathy C

Posted: Wednesday 27th of April 2011 09:25 PM

When does dicentra spectabilis die back?

Shoot User

1416 2

Mine has just about finished flowering (I'm writing on Easter Sunday). I love the foliage but I'm wondering when it will die back. Most of the books I've looked at suggest it will be gone by midsummer, in which case it will leave a big hole at the front of my border!

Posted: Sunday 24th of April 2011 05:15 PM Last reply: Friday 28th of February 2025 08:25 PM

Re: Division

Shoot User

767 0

Thanks Katy.

Posted: Thursday 30th of September 2010 09:01 AM