Bleeding Heart 'Alba'

Lush, sprawling, stems of apple green foliage interspersed with arching branches of bright white flowers. It is the epitome of elegance. The flowers can show for up to six weeks which is an absolute boon in shade.

A rare form of a much loved favourite. I know it isn’t quite as lush (perhaps more compact is a better term) as the common pink, but there is certainly something special that it offers.

It is the extended, white petals that give Lamprocapnos spectabilis (syn. Dicentra spectabilis) the common name of Bleeding Hearts. It is also known as Dutchman's Breeches because the large petals resemble the old fashioned Dutch trousers. Each flower is 2-3cm long. The blooms are suitable for picking.

Bleeding Heart is a low maintenance plant ideal for a shade or woodland garden. Plant in cool, humus rich, moist, well drained soil. They grow well with Hostas, Ferns and similar plants. Incidentally, the leaves of the Hostas can be useful as a foil for the fading Bleeding Heart foliage as it goes into dormancy in the heat of summer. This dormancy can be delayed with a bit of extra watering, and you can enjoy the foliage up to early autumn.

New foliage emerges in spring. Oh and rabbits seem to avoid it (as do deer) which is good news for many.