Bleeding heart rooting

by Michelle
(Cocoa, FL)

I am not sure how to plant the bleeding heart stems i purchased. I really cant tell what is up or down, there are no smaller roots to identify? Also can I put them in water and root them and then plant?
Thank You


Doug says let's take this one from the top. If you have bleeding heart stems - as in cut flowers - I'd suggest you enjoy them as cut flowers. They're not easy to root although it is possible. And yes, putting them in a glass of water is the only way you'd get them to root for you.

If you're saying you have bleeding heart roots - and you can't tell which end is up - look for small budded points just above a "hairy" circle on the plant. That's the top. The hairy circle is the remnant of old leaf parts kind of thing. If no hairy circle - then you're looking at a thicker end (top) and narrow end (bottom). But generally, a root has sharper "pointy things" coming out somewhere and those are the growing points.

Last but not least, a bleeding heart is a herbaceous perennial and may not survive in Florida because of the lack of winter temperatures.

Good luck.