smooth oxeye Interesting Notes

Dark purple foliage with black stems contrasts against fiery red-orange blooms. A seed selection by Jelitto Perennial Seeds, H. helianthoides 'Bleeding Hearts' stands 3-4' tall and 1-2’ wide. It begins blooming in its first year and blooms from June to mid-October. As attractive to butterflies and bees as it is to people, we've found this plant really deserves a place in a beautiful border, a cutting garden, or in massed swathes. Introduced by Jelitto Perennial Seeds in 2018.

H. helianthoides is found in floodplains, fields and at woods' edge in Quebec and British Columbia south to New Mexico and Georgia. It prefers moist, well-drained soil in full sun, but tolerates periods of drought and heavy clay soils. One of its best features is how it happily naturalizes in a broad range of soil conditions, from moist to dry. Variety scabra denotes species is endemic to the Western United States.

Unlike the straight species, H. ‘Bleeding Hearts’ maintains a tidier habit and doesn’t self-sow as densely. We find it to be a long season performer and ‘Bleeding Hearts’ the deep colored flowers and reliable hue of the foliage shows marked improvement from other cultivars on the market. 

Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra 'Bleeding Hearts' Growing and Maintenance Tips

Plant tolerates a wide range of soil types and conditions including infertile soil and some periods of drought. Plants will need watering during prolonged periods of drought. Plant can grow upwards of 4' - to encourage more blooms and a shorter height, trim 1/3 to 1/2 of the plant in mid-May. Plant can take light shade but does best in full sun. 

Good Substitutions

Heliopsis helianthoides

Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra 'Burning Hearts'