It likewise followed in religious oratory and writings that made reference to Jesus’s lamentations on behalf of the poor, the sick, or the struggling.

In later centuries, bleeding heart developed a literal association in religious writing and iconography, specifically used for the image of the heart of Jesus Christ. That nevere of hym she wolde han taken hede,įor which hym thoughte he felte his herte blede Geoffrey Chaucer employed the image in his epic 14th-century poem Troilus and Criseyde: 2010 Early Use of 'Bleeding Heart'īefore bleeding heart was ever an established phrase, the notion of hearts bleeding as a sincere emotional outpouring was a common one in art and literature. Jesse McKinley, The New York Times, 12 Jan. Walter Goodman, The New York Times, 29 July 1990īurly, bearded and gleefully obscene, Dan de Vaul does not look the part of the bleeding-heart homeless advocate, sporting as he does a feather-topped cowboy hat, a large collection of guns and a bushel of hoary wisecracks. He directs his shafts against advocates of such causes as abortion rights, environmental protection, uncensored art, the homeless, victims of AIDS and animal rights. The most contentious figure in the C-Span sample is Rush Limbaugh, whose baiting of bleeding hearts weekday mornings over WABC-AM in New York is syndicated to some four million listeners. This seems to have struck a chord with some of the congressional bleeding hearts. The campaign's second element has been to promulgate stories about small businesses and farmers driven out of business by estate taxes. Perhaps not as common as it used to be, the phrase is historically lobbed more frequently at those whose politics are of the liberal persuasion. Give your shade border a big boost of color by planting Hellebore and Bleeding Heart in the same bed.The term bleeding heart shows up in political writing as a derogatory term for someone who expresses excessive sympathy for another’s unfortunate situation. Popping up in early spring, Hosta looks terrific interplanted with Bleeding Heart. In the right conditions some bleeding heart can grow 3 to 4 feet tall so you might need to stake them to prevent the plants from sprawling over their neighbors.īleeding heart is not recommended for human or animal consumption.Ĭomplement your Bleeding Heart Dianthus, Annualĭianthus makes a perky partner for Bleeding Heart. Mulch the plants to maintain consistent soil moisture and mark their planting bed so you don't accidentally dig them up after they go dormant in late summer. The Dicentra will return when the weather cools again in the spring.Įmail us and one of our spring flower gardening experts will get back to you.īleeding heart prefers a shady spot in the garden with rich, slightly moist soil. Plan for the plants to go dormant during the heat of summer by planting close to other plants that can 'fill in the gap' for a while, such as Hosta or Hellebores.

There are various sizes available and hybrids have been developed over the years to expand the range of flower colors and increase the blooming period. All species have incredibly attractive, deeply cut foliage with charming pink heart-shaped flowers in the spring. Bleeding hearts are an outstanding choice for adding color and texture to shady or woodland settings.