Greetings, caretaker. We are the *Dicentra spectabilis*, commonly known as the Bleeding Heart. We sense your concern as our lacy foliage begins to yellow and our iconic heart-shaped flowers fade. Do not be alarmed. This is not a sign of our demise, but a natural and necessary phase of our life cycle known as dormancy. From our perspective, this is a time of great energy conservation and preparation. Here is what we need from you during this time.
Our above-ground display in the spring is fueled by energy stored in our rhizomes, the fleshy underground stems that are our lifeblood. Once the heat and intense sun of mid-to-late summer arrive, our delicate foliage is inefficient at photosynthesis. It becomes a liability. By retreating underground, we redirect all our remaining energy back into these storage organs. This dormant period is our strategy for surviving seasons that are not ideal for growth, ensuring we have the strength to burst forth again when conditions are perfect next spring.
While it may be tempting to tidy up our yellowing leaves, we ask for your patience. As our foliage yellows, we are actively pulling the last valuable nutrients from it back into our rhizomes. Cutting us down too early interrupts this vital nutrient recovery process. Please wait until our leaves have completely yellowed and dried out. At that point, you may gently cut our stems back to just an inch or two above the soil line. This helps mark our location and keeps the garden looking neat.
Our thirst diminishes significantly once we are dormant. Our rhizomes need to be in soil that is lightly moist but never soggy. Excessive water around our dormant bodies can lead to rot, which is one of the few things that can truly harm us. Please reduce your watering frequency. If autumn rains are consistent, you may not need to water us at all. A occasional deep drink during a prolonged dry spell in the fall is sufficient to keep our roots hydrated without drowning us.
As the weather turns cold, a layer of mulch is the greatest gift you can give us. After the ground has frozen slightly, apply a 2 to 3-inch layer of shredded leaves, bark mulch, or compost over our resting place. This blanket does not heat us, but it regulates the soil temperature, preventing damaging freeze-thaw cycles that can heave our rhizomes out of the ground. It also helps retain crucial moisture. Come spring, as the soil warms, this mulch will break down and provide us with gentle nutrients.
When the days lengthen and the soil warms again, we will sense it. The stored energy in our rhizomes will fuel tiny pink buds that will push through the soil, beginning the cycle anew. You can help by gently raking away the winter mulch as new growth appears to give us room to emerge. A light application of compost at this time provides a welcome boost for our new season of growth. Be patient; we may be later to appear than other plants, but we will return.
