My established Dicentra spectabilis/bleeding heart 'Alba' showed up & bloomed by May 2 in 2010 according to my garden notes. It didn't come back this year and I'm disappointed to say the least--it was always full & gorgeous. I didn't plant it from bare-root stock--it was nursery-grown, but it thrived for several years prior to this past horrendous winter. Typically it's a pretty tough perennial.

I planted my Dicentra bare roots in Mid-March and they are just now coming up. I actually considered digging them up because I had given up on them but, they finally came up about a week ago. Right now it's one dark green crinkly leaf but it will hopefully grow.

it depends how long it takes.. the soil to warm.. at depth.. in your garden ...

ken

One problem I had with bareroot astible, bleeding heart, and some clematis -- if they didn't have a little bit of growth on them, it was hard to tell which part is up. I decided to plant them sideways.

Were you sure of the side you planted them in? That will delay just a bit longer.

Patience, Grasshopper.

Thanks!

So in other words, it is not unreasonable for them to take this long. I have planted other bareroot plants before (not dicentra) but it was later, the soil was undoubtedly warmer, and I recall seeing growth very quickly.

I could tell where last yearâÂÂs cut stem was, so which way was up was not too hard to decide. A few were so long that they did get planted at somewhat of an angle.

Can someone tell me or show me with a photo what the emerging first growth on a bare root Dicentra looks like, please?

You can do a web search for dicentra spouts and select the image tab. There are photos on the web available.

All the yellow green sprouts shown here are dicentra spectablis. It is a white-flowered form, so doesn't show the flush of pink on the leaves as does the standard form. But you can see the leaf form.