From a plant's perspective, light is our primary energy source, the driver of photosynthesis. If we are not flowering, it is often because we simply do not have enough energy reserves to produce such a complex and costly structure as a bloom. While we Bleeding Hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) prefer dappled shade or partial sun, deep, full shade is problematic. In such low light, our photosynthetic rate slows dramatically. We must dedicate all our energy to producing leaves to capture what little light exists, leaving nothing in reserve for flower production. We may look lush and green, but we will remain flowerless.
The balance of nutrients in our soil is critical. An excess of nitrogen, while promoting vigorous, dark green leafy growth, tells our physiology to focus on vegetative development, not reproductive. The fertilizer you apply, if high in nitrogen, pushes us to become bigger plants at the expense of becoming flowering plants. Conversely, a severe deficiency in phosphorus—a key nutrient for energy transfer and root, flower, and fruit development—can also prevent blooming. We may be too starved of this essential element to muster the resources needed to form flower buds.
Patience is required. A young Bleeding Heart grown from a division or seed is primarily focused on establishing a strong root system and building its biomass. Flowering is a metabolically expensive process, and we will not attempt it until we are confident in our own stability and resource storage, which can take a season or two. Similarly, if you have just divided us, we must redirect all energy to repairing root damage and re-establishing ourselves in the soil. Demanding flowers in that first season after division is asking too much of us while we are in recovery.
Our root systems are sensitive to their environment. Consistently waterlogged, poorly drained soil suffocates our roots, preventing them from absorbing nutrients and water effectively. This stress causes root rot, and a stressed plant focused on survival will not flower. On the other hand, extreme drought stress, especially in the spring when flower buds are forming, can cause us to abort the budding process entirely to conserve water. Furthermore, we prefer a cool, moist root run. If the soil becomes too hot and dry, we may go dormant prematurely to protect ourselves, cutting short any chance of flowering.
Timing is everything. Our life cycle is specific; we bloom in mid-to-late spring and often go summer dormant. If you prune back our foliage too early, before it has had a chance to yellow and die back naturally, you interrupt a vital process. That post-bloom period is when we are using our leaves to photosynthesize and send energy down to our roots for storage next year's flowers. Cutting away our food-making machinery severely depletes our energy reserves, guaranteeing a lack of blooms the following spring.
