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Bleeding heart
Habit (mature) · Victor Grigas (victorgrigas) / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 (public domain dedication)
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Bleeding heart
Lamprocapnos spectabilis
An old-fashioned woodland-garden perennial from East Asia (Siberia, Japan, northern China, and Korea) grown for arching sprays of nodding, puffy, heart-shaped rose-pink flowers, each with a protruding white inner petal that gives the "bleeding heart" its name. Blooms in spring in part-to-full shade above ferny blue-green foliage, then goes summer-dormant — best interplanted with hostas and ferns that fill the gap. All parts are poisonous if eaten, and the foliage can cause skin dermatitis.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: moderate (59/100)
Border
Focal point
Light
Part shade
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
24-36" tall · 24" apart
Hardy in zones
3a-9b
brutally cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Warm
cool to warm summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
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Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder notes the plant tolerates rabbit, heavy shade, and black walnut, and that good soil drainage is essential; foliage goes dormant in summer, so it is best planted among later-developing perennials such as hostas and ferns.
Climate notes
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/bleeding-heart
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC0 1.0 public domain dedication
Backs 1 field
Image
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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