Bleeding Heart is a perennial grown for its pink blooms, which open in summer and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 3 through 9, shrugs off deer and grows just as well in a container as in the ground. Its summer flowers are a moderate draw for native bees and hummingbirds.
Zones
3-9
pH Range
6-7.5
Sun
Part Sun
Days to Maturity
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What Bleeding Heart is
Bleeding Heart grows as a perennial and reaches around three feet at maturity. It blooms pink in summer. It's also deer-resistant and well suited to containers.
How to grow Bleeding Heart
Bleeding Heart grows in USDA zones 3 through 9. Bleeding Heart does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 6 to 7.5, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
3-9
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
6 - 7.5
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
3 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant bleeding heart in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Bleeding Heart prefers pH 6 to 7.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut bleeding heart blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — bleeding heart is toxic to dogs and cats (moderate severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Bleeding Heart offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Bleeding Heart thrives
Bleeding Heart is hardy across USDA zones 3 through 9. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 3–9·Where Bleeding Heart growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Bleeding Heart can grow in these states:
See if Bleeding Heart will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether bleeding heart actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Bleeding Heart in my zone?
Bleeding Heart grows in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Bleeding Heart?
Bleeding Heart is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Bleeding Heart need?
Bleeding Heart does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Bleeding Heart need?
Bleeding Heart prefers soil pH 6 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Bleeding Heart attract pollinators?
Yes — bleeding heart's flowers are a solid nectar source for native bees and hummingbirds. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Bleeding Heart safe for pets?
Bleeding Heart is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with moderate severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)