Alba is the white form of the old-fashioned bleeding heart, just as graceful as the pink. In late spring, arching stems carry chains of puffy, pure white hearts above soft, light green foliage.
Plants form bushy clumps about 2.5 feet tall, and the sprays last about two weeks in a vase. It lights up shady corners and woodland gardens, and it usually goes dormant after bloom, so plant hostas or ferns nearby to fill in.
What it looks like
A bushy, rounded clump about 30 inches tall and 18 to 36 inches wide with smooth, fleshy stems. Leaves are soft, powdery light green, deeply cut into broad lobes, 6 to 10 inches long. Long, arching, leafless stems carry a row of 10 to 15 dangling, puffy heart-shaped flowers about an inch long in pure white with a white drop-shaped tip. At peak bloom in late spring the plant looks like a fountain of white hearts over pale green leaves.
Growing it with lavender
Bleeding heart needs shade and moist soil, unlike lavender, so plant it in a shady bed under trees or along a north wall with hostas and ferns.
Care
Plant in part to full shade in rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil. Hardy in zones 3-9. The plant often goes dormant by midsummer, especially in dry soil, so plant hostas, ferns or hardy geraniums nearby to fill the gap and keep it watered in spring to hold the foliage longer.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Lamprocapnos spectabilis
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Flower color: Pure white
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Foliage: Light green
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Growth habit: Bushy, rounded clump
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Mature size: 30 in tall × 18–36 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
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Light: part sun to part shade, full shade
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Bloom start: Early-May
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Peak bloom: Mid-May
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Bloom pattern: Single Flush
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Deer resistance: Resistant
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Pollinator value: Good
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly. Arrives as dormant, brittle fleshy roots with plump buds; handle gently and plant with the buds just below the soil.
Shipping note: Goes dormant after bloom; fall-shipped plants arrive as dormant roots with no leaves.
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