"Adrian Lundgren" wrote in message
...
Hi all. What does one do with Bleeding Hearts after they have
bloomed
and start to look sort of ratty and icky? Do I cut them to the
ground
or
wait until they die like tulips? I am in zone 4.
thanks
al


Two common types of Bleeding Heart exist: Dicentra spectablis and
Dicentra eximia. The former blooms earlier and naturally goes dormant
in the summer. D. eximia blooms later and keeps its foliage most of
the summer.

If you have D. spectablis, the foliage will naturally die off. Once it
is brown, you can remove it if is unsightly. If you have D. eximia, I
suspect the growing conditions aren't correct. I wouldn't cut D.
eximia down, but give it some water.

Good Luck,

Guy Bradley
Chesterfield MO
zone 6