Pacific Bleeding Heart

Pacific bleeding heart is a delicate-looking perennial native to moist forests, streambanks, and shaded slopes of the Pacific Northwest. It spreads by rhizomes, forming colonies of finely divided fernlike leaves that create a soft, lacy groundcover. From spring into early summer it produces nodding clusters of pink to rose-colored heart-shaped flowers that are highly attractive to hummingbirds and native bees. By late summer the plants go dormant to pop up again the following spring. Ecologically, Pacific bleeding heart contributes to understory diversity and helps stabilize soils with its spreading growth. Its ornamental blooms and adaptability make it a valued species in both natural woodlands and native plant gardens.