Fringed bleeding heart

Questions about fringed bleeding heart

Does fringed bleeding heart need sun or shade?

Fringed bleeding heart grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun), part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does fringed bleeding heart grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 9. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does fringed bleeding heart flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers early May to late August. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should fringed bleeding heart be planted?

16 in (40 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 16 in (40 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many fringed bleeding heart plants do I need?

At 16 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 7 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 8 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 21 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.

Is fringed bleeding heart poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts are poisonous if eaten. The sap can irritate skin and eyes.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like fringed bleeding heart?

These come closest to doing what fringed bleeding heart does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Wild geranium 'Espresso': the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers early May to early June, medium leaves, not fine.
• Jacob's ladder 'Stairway to Heaven': the same job in a bed; 4 in shorter, flowers early May to early June.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat fringed bleeding heart?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

What flowers after fringed bleeding heart?

Fringed bleeding heart is over by late August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Japanese anemone: from mid August to early October, 3 ft tall.
• Autumn moor grass: from mid August to early October, 16 in tall.
• October daphne: from mid September to late October, 8 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.

What does fringed bleeding heart look like in winter?

Fringed bleeding heart dies down, but leave the stems standing: the seed heads stand through the winter, and songbirds eat the seed. Cut them down in early spring, before the new shoots come.

Is fringed bleeding heart good for bees and butterflies?

Fringed bleeding heart is visited by pollinators, bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and songbirds.

It is native to the United States.