Bleeding heart vine
image by Wikimedia.org
The bleeding heart glorybower, also known as the bleeding heart vine, is an evergreen that is originally from Africa with crimson red flowers surrounded by white petals. The leaves are dark, glossy green and can be up to 7 inches long. The vine itself is huge and bushy, grows to a height of 6 feet and thrives in partial shade. The bleeding heart vine prefers well-drained moist soil, but not soaking wet.
Plant your bleeding heart vine in early spring using a good potting soil. The soil should be loose and not packed. If the soil is packed, mix equal parts of peat moss, potting soil and sand. Use a flower pot that has drainage holes in the bottom so the water will not settle around the roots since this can cause root rot and destroy the plant.
Water your plant daily with lukewarm water; cold water can shock your bleeding heart vine. Use just enough water to keep the soil moist. Do not let the soil dry out; this will kill your plant.
Feed your plant every other week with a water-soluble fertilizer. Follow the instructions on the bottle of fertilizer for your container size. Water-soluble fertilizers are easily distributed more uniformly throughout the soil and are easily drained. During the winter months, continue to fertilize every other week but dilute the fertilizer with one part water and one part fertilizer.
Thin out the plant when it becomes overcrowded with vines. Transplant the vines to encourage new growth and the spread of the bleeding heart. Place the cuttings in a pot and cover it loosely with a plastic bag and tie off with a rubber band. The transplants should get plenty of direct sunshine until they have established. Plant them along with the other vines in early spring.