After a day of errands and running here and there, I made one last stop at the garden center. The weather was nice, and it is always a treat to stroll through the plants and think happy thoughts.
I was daydreaming and walking without intention, just meandering the space, when something caught my eye.
This plant looked familiar, yet not quite like something I knew. Moving closer, I recognized the drooping flowers forming balloon hearts on the vines. Then, I did a double-take. This plant was tall and trellised. What kind of food had they given this beauty to make it reach such height?
I have bleeding hearts plants (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) in my garden. They emerge in the spring, produce a lovely flower, then die back as the weather heats up. So, what was this plant that was trying to fool me in mid-July?
The bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomasoniae) may look like a spring perennial that grows in my garden, but it is very different.
The bleeding heart vine, or glory bower, is a vine related to the mint family. It is fast-growing and tropical. ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a climber, so it will need a trellis or post nearby.
The vine caught my eye because it was covered in flowers. Bunches of white clusters accented with red grew from the vines. When given the right growing conditions, these flowers will appear from spring through fall.
Hardy in USDA Zones 9-12, in West Virginia, glory bower is an annual or houseplant. When planted in the ground, the vine can reach 10 feet tall, but will not survive the winters. If grown in a container and given support for climbing, the plant may reach 4 feet and can be brought indoors for winter.
Outdoors, the vine likes a few hours of morning sun and moist, but not soggy, soil. This is a balancing act. Vines like water, often a lot of water, but they donÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t like wet feet.
During the summer, give the bleeding heart vine a shot of liquid fertilizer every few weeks, or use time-release grains. If planted in the ground, adding a bit of lime to the soil will give the plant extra calcium.
DonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t be afraid to prune the vine. Actually, be heavy-handed with the shears to get the desired shape and size you want for your space. But know, blooms happen on new growth, so wait until the flowers have faded before pruning.
If bringing the plant inside for winter, expect it to go dormant for several weeks. When this happens, reduce the water and sun, but keep the plant in moderate temperatures. If the space drops below 45 degrees, the plant may become damaged. Until dormancy, place the plant in a filtered sun spot.
Dormancy is also a good time to repot the plant. The vine likes to be a little rootbound when producing flowers, so only increase the container size slightly when repotting.
The bleeding heart vine is easy to propagate. Using a sharp blade, make a clean cut below a leaf node. Place the cutting in clean water and expect to see new roots appear in 2-3 weeks. Once the new roots look strong, place the new plant in soil.
I did not buy this plant on the day of my stroll, but I do have the perfect spot out back where it could climb and fill a seating area with vines and blooms. Maybe the bleeding heart vine is just what I need to fill my heart with more blossoms and joy.
Jane Powell is a longtime West Virginia University Extension Service master gardener through the Kanawha County chapter. She is a member of the Charleston Municipal Beautification Commission and the city Tree Board. She is also the communications director for a community foundation and a volunteer with several nonprofits. Find her blog, “Gardening in Pearls,” at . Contact her at janeellenpowell@aol.com.
