'Gold Heart' Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)
Best shade-loving perennial for gardeners seeking vibrant, low-maintenance foliage.
Discover the 'Gold Heart' Bleeding Heart, a perennial that brings a unique twist to classic garden beauty. Its striking golden foliage offers vibrant color from spring through fall, complemented by delicate pink and white heart-shaped flowers in late spring. This easy-to-grow plant forms an attractive mounding habit, reaching up to 30 inches tall and 36 inches wide, perfect for massing, edging, or underplanting. It thrives in well-draining soil and tolerates part sun to full shade, providing reliable color and texture throughout the growing season.
$17.99
Owner Satisfaction
4.6
/ 5
Category Rank
758
/ 2989
#758 in Landscaping & Garden Plants
Price vs Category Average
-35%
Below average
Life Cycle
Perennial
/ Perennial
Who it's for
- Gardeners seeking to brighten dim, shaded landscape corners
- Landscapers needing early-season color in deep shade
- Homeowners managing gardens with frequent deer or rabbit pressure
Who should skip it
- Families with curious pets or small children at home
- Gardeners wanting year-round foliage consistency in their beds
- Residents in hot climates with intense afternoon sun exposure
Performance breakdown
Shade adaptability
Thrives in low-light conditions where most flowering perennials struggle to bloom.
Foliage impact
Golden leaves provide a vibrant, high-contrast backdrop throughout the entire season.
Maintenance ease
A reliable, low-effort grower that requires minimal intervention once established.
Pest resistance
Strong natural defense against deer and rabbits keeps garden beds intact.
Pollinator utility
Attracts essential bees and butterflies during the peak spring bloom window.
Design versatility
Mounding habit works perfectly for containers, borders, or massed landscape plantings.
Key Specs
Life Cycle
Perennial
Watering Needs
Moderate
Light Requirement
Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade
Bloom Season
Spring, Summer
Fragrance Level
No Fragrance
Pet Safe
False
Growth Habit
Mounding
Mature Height
30 inches
Features
- Radiant golden foliage for season-long color
- Classic heart-shaped flowers bloom in spring
- Tolerates shade well
- Brightens shady garden areas
- Deer and rabbit resistant
- Low maintenance plant
- Suitable for container planting
- Peach stems add unique visual interest
What customers say
The 'Gold Heart' Dicentra is celebrated for its vibrant gold foliage, offering striking contrast in shaded gardens. Customers consistently report that the plants arrive healthy and larger than expected for mail order, with robust packaging minimizing transit damage. These specimens establish quickly and exhibit vigorous growth in their first season, confirming their high quality. Despite a few noting smaller initial sizes, the overall consensus highlights this cultivar as a true to name, high quality plant. Its impressive visual appeal and successful establishment make it a worthwhile investment, leading to strong recommendations and high customer satisfaction.
Know before you buy
Yes, this variety is prized for its radiant golden-to-chartreuse foliage that provides consistent color from spring through fall, unlike traditional green-leafed varieties.
Absolutely. The 'Gold Heart' thrives in full shade, making it an excellent choice for brightening up darker corners of your garden where other plants might struggle.
No, the 'Gold Heart' Bleeding Heart is not considered pet-safe. It is best to plant it in areas of your garden that are inaccessible to curious cats or dogs.
This variety is deer resistant, which makes it a reliable choice for landscapes where wildlife pressure is a concern. However, no plant is completely immune to hungry animals if food sources are scarce.
Because this plant reaches a mature spread of 36 inches, you should space them 2 to 3 feet apart to allow for proper airflow and healthy growth.
Yes, it is well-suited for container planting. Ensure your pot has good drainage and use a humus-rich potting mix to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
Still have a question?
Ask Hayley anything about this product before you decide.
Ready to buy?
$18