How to Propagate Bleeding Hearts to Create More Plants

12.06.2023 - 01:00 / gardenerspath.com / Kristine Lofgren

If one bleeding heart is marvelous, a dozen are even better! If you aren’t fabulously wealthy, or you just love a gardening challenge, then learning how to propagate these cottage staples is a nice skill to have in your back pocket.

But I’ll let you in on a little secret: it doesn’t even take that much skill really, and there are several different methods you can use.

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That’s because bleeding hearts are positively ready and willing to reproduce with minimal effort on your part. Pretty soon, your yard will be overflowing with delicate goodness.

To help you find success with your endeavors, here’s what we’ll discuss:

If you haven’t read our overall growing guide, you may want to check it out first.

But if you’re ready for lots of bleeding heart babies – and who wouldn’t be! – let’s jump right in.

In general, the best time to divide these plants is in the early spring when the green shoots are just starting to emerge from the ground.

You can also divide them when the stems are turning yellow and dying back in early summer.

It’s also possible to divide this plant in the fall, but finding the roots may pose a challenge as the crown will have died back completely to the soil level at this point.

Cuttings can be taken any time when the crown is visible.

Gathering seeds happens after the pods have ripened, which takes place over a week or two in the summer.

To divide your bleeding heart, use a spade to dig an inch outside of the entire drip line in a circle.

You’ll need to dig as deep as the foliage is tall at its highest point. Then, insert the