Choose the right bleeding heart for your garden. Lamprocapnos ‘Formosa’ is short, for instance, while lamprocapnos ‘spectablis’ can grow over two feet tall. Bleeding Heart typically does well in zones 3 through 9.
2. Plant in shade to part-shade - early spring if possible. Bleeding Hearts prefer well-drained soil, but adding lots of rotted manure at planting time helps hold moisture and fertilizes organically.
3. Compost and mulch regularly around the base of the plant as the plant does better if well-watered – compost and mulch help retain that moisture.
4. First-year plants require regular watering. After that, only water during the hot and dry seasons.
5. Towards very late summer or in intense heat the plant collapses entirely without proper water and looks like it is dead. It simply goes dormant at this time and will return in the spring.