Product Description
Echinacea 'Jamberry' PPAF - DOUBLE DIPPED® Collection (30)ct Flat
Dicentra spectabilis 'Hearts on Fire', commonly known as Old-Fashioned Bleeding Heart, is a vibrant new cultivar that breathes fresh life into the classic shade garden favorite. This perennial gem boasts an early spring emergence with dazzling golden foliage accented by bronze highlights. Its distinctive dark stems provide a striking contrast to the bright leaves, creating a truly eye-catching display. In late spring, a profusion of true red, heart-shaped flowers emerges on long scapes, blooming beautifully out of the foliage for an extended period, surpassing the bloom time of traditional varieties. 'Hearts on Fire' is a true showstopper, offering a spectacular early-season spectacle before its typical summer dormancy. With proper care, dormancy can be delayed, allowing for a longer period of enjoyment in your garden.
'Hearts on Fire' forms an upright, mounding clump of foliage. The leaves are deeply lobed and fern-like, emerging a brilliant golden hue with bronze tints that mature to a consistent golden-yellow. The unique dark stems are a key morphological feature, providing strong visual interest against the bright foliage. The flowers are quintessential bleeding-heart shape, vibrant red, and dangle gracefully from arching scapes. These scapes are notably longer than those of traditional Bleeding Hearts, ensuring the blooms are held proudly above the foliage for maximum impact. After flowering, if left undisturbed, small seed pods develop, containing seeds that can self-sow.
- Foliage: Golden with bronze highlights, maturing to golden-yellow. Dark stems provide excellent contrast.
- Flowers: True red, heart-shaped, appearing in late spring.
- Bloom Time: Late spring extended compared to traditional varieties.
- Dormancy: Typically go dormant in summer after flowering but can be delayed with consistent watering in spring.
- Growth Rate: Medium to Rapid.
- Attracts: Hummingbirds, Bees.
- Critter Resistant: Deer resistant.
- Special Features: Attractive foliage, easy to grow, excellent as a cut flower, can be used as a specimen or focal point.
- Height: 18.0-24.0 Inches (45-60 cm)
- Spread: 24.0-36.0 Inches (60-90 cm)
- Flower Color: Red shades
- Foliage Color: Yellow shades
- Sunlight: Part Shade (4-6 hours direct sun) to Full Shade (< 4 hours direct sun)
- Water Requirements: Average to Consistent Water Needs
- Soil Quality: Average to Fertile Soil Quality
- Soil Chemistry: Acidic (pH < 7.0), Neutral (pH = 7.0), Alkaline (pH > 7.0)
- Bloomtime: Late Spring
- PPAF: Plant Patent Applied For
- CPBRAF: Canadian Plant Breeders' Rights Applied For
While 'Hearts on Fire' is a cultivated variety, its parent species, Dicentra spectabilis, is native to moist woodlands and shaded slopes of East Asia, including Siberia, northern China, Korea, and Japan. This origin informs its preference for rich, moist, and well-drained soils, as well as its tolerance for shaded environments.
Landscaping Design Tips
'Hearts on Fire' is a versatile and visually impactful plant for a variety of garden styles.
- Woodland Shade Gardens: This plant is perfectly at home in woodland settings, mimicking its natural habitat. Plant it under deciduous trees or along the edges of shaded pathways for a burst of early spring color.
- Mass Planting: For a truly dramatic effect, consider mass planting 'Hearts on Fire'. The collective glow of its golden foliage and vibrant red blooms will create a stunning focal point in a shaded border. The extended bloom time of this cultivar makes mass plantings even more impactful.
- Container Gardening: Its moderate size and attractive foliage make it an excellent choice for patio containers. Pair it with other shade-loving annuals or perennials to create dynamic container arrangements.
- Cottage Gardens: The traditional charm of Bleeding Hearts fits seamlessly into cottage garden designs. Its bright colors will add a playful touch.
- Eclectic Gardens: 'Hearts on Fire' can serve as a strong specimen plant or a vibrant border addition in eclectic designs, providing a pop of color and unique foliage texture.
- Filling Gaps: Due to its potential for summer dormancy, strategically plant 'Hearts on Fire' alongside bushy perennials that emerge later in the season and can fill in the resulting gaps. Excellent companions include Hostas, Geraniums (cranesbill), and Sedges (Carex spp.). Their lush foliage will maintain visual interest once the Bleeding Heart goes dormant.
- Border Plant & Focal Point: Use it to define the edge of a shaded border or as a striking focal point, drawing the eye with its bright colors and unique form.
Hardiness
'Hearts on Fire' is a remarkably hardy perennial, thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9. This wide range indicates its adaptability to a broad spectrum of climates, enduring cold winters, and warmer summers within these zones.
Planting and Cultivation
Location: Choose a location that receives part shade to full shade. Protection from high winds and early frosts is crucial. Ideal spots include the edges of woodlands or on the north or east sides of buildings, where it will be sheltered from harsh conditions and intense afternoon sun.
Soil: Dicentra thrives in rich, loose soil that is evenly moist but also well-drained. Heavy clay soil is unsuitable and should be amended. At planting time, thoroughly amend the soil with generous amounts of organic matter such as compost, humus, or peat moss. This enhances the soil's water retention capabilities while ensuring good drainage. The plant is adaptable to a wide range of soil pH, from acidic to alkaline.
Planting:
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep.
- Gently remove the plant from its container, loosening any circling roots.
- Place the plant in the hole so the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding soil.
- Backfill with the amended soil, gently tamping down to remove air pockets.
- Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil around the roots.
Watering: 'Hearts on Fire' prefers consistent moisture. While it has average water needs, consistent watering, particularly during dry spells in spring, can significantly delay summer dormancy, extending its period of display. Avoid letting the soil dry out completely.
Fertilization: In most well-amended soils, additional fertilization may not be necessary. If your soil is poor, a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer can be applied in early spring as new growth emerges.
Dormancy Management: Be aware that Old-Fashioned Bleeding Hearts typically go dormant in late summer or early fall after their spectacular spring display. If the plant is kept consistently well-watered during the spring, dormancy may be delayed. Once dormancy begins, the foliage will yellow and die back. This is a natural process. Avoid disturbing the dormant plant.
Propagation:
- Division: The most reliable method for propagating 'Hearts on Fire' is by division in either spring or fall. When dividing, exercise great care to keep the fleshy, brittle roots intact. Gently lift the clump, separate it into smaller sections, ensuring each section has healthy roots and shoots, and replant immediately.
- Seed: If spent flowers are not removed, small seed pods will develop. Once they mature and dry, these pods will drop their seeds. If left undisturbed, these seeds will germinate the following spring. The resulting plantlets are easy to transplant while they are still small. However, be aware that plants grown from seed may not exactly resemble the parent plant due to genetic variation.
Thirty (30) plants per flat (or tray). Approximate Plug Measurements: 3 inches deep x 2 inches wide.
Other Details
The most important part of the plant is its root system. Healthy roots are the foundation of a healthy, vibrant plant. The type of plug container used is based on the specific needs of the plants. Perennials offered as bare root traditionally perform better when planted as bare root.Planted in a specialized mix, potted plants have well established root systems. Top growth stage will vary depending on the current life cycle and time of year when shipped. In Winter and early Spring dormant plants may be shipped. Dormant plants may be planted right away, even before the last frost date.
Most bare root varieties are field grown for at least one season, though Hemerocallis and Hosta are grown for two seasons. The bulk of the soil is removed during the harvesting process and the tops of most varieties are trimmed back to the crown. They are graded, packed in shredded aspen or sphagnum moss and stored in freezers until ready to be shipped.
See our Container Sizes and Bare Root Perennials pages for more information.
Plant information and care is provided in the Overview section, Plant Genus Page and general information is provided in the Planting Care & Guides. Additional questions can be asked on each Plant page.
Plant Spacing: Using the maximum mature spread or width of a plant to guide spacing, ensures space to grow to full size. To fill an area sooner, plant them closer together. Just remember, future thinning or transplanting may be needed.
Water: Keep a close eye on newly planted perennials, especially throughout the first growing year. Most early plant loss is due to too much or too little water!
