Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)

Despite the chilly weather, our Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) is currently blooming its heart out (sorry for the pun) here at MOSI Outside!

Bleeding Heart Vine, also called Glory Bower, is native to tropical west Africa. It is a favored houseplant throughout much of the world, but it can be grown outdoors in zones 9 and higher, which includes Tampa, FL. Outdoors, it loves morning sun and afternoon shade, and regular watering. Bleeding Heart Vine is a hungry plant, needing regular fertilization to flower well, especially when grown indoors. (Note: Clerodendrum thomsoniae should not be confused with another plant often called "Bleeding Heart" - Dicentra spectabilis syn. Lamprocapnos spectabilis, which has very different growing requirements. Learn more here.)

Part of what makes the flowers of this plant plant so spectacular are the red petals (corolla) set off by the white calyx behind. The white calyx is made of up five sepals, which in most plants serve to protect the flower in bud and support the flower in bloom. Usually, though, these sepals are green, and blend in with the stem. In cases like this one, the sepals are part of what makes the flowers so eye-catching and special.

A member of the enormous Lamiaceae family, Bleeding Heart Vine is a liana, a woody vining plant that, in the wild, climbs high into the trees to reach the sunlight at the canopy. This aggressive growth habit means it can be troublesome in cultivation in ideal growing conditions. Many gardeners in this area note that when this vine takes hold, it's nearly impossible to get rid of and will out-compete nearby plants and shrubs. That has not been our experience with this plant; however, we've had it only a couple of years and it doesn't receive optimal growing conditions in its current location. If you live in zone 9 or higher and want to plant this vine outdoors, be cautious about the location you choose and be prepared for it to possibly take over your garden.

What's In a Name? The common name of this plant is easy to understand. Before the white sepals are fully open, they resemble the shape of a heart, with the red corollas representing drops of blood. The genus name Clerodendrum breaks down to two Greek roots: "kleros," meaning luck or chance, and "dendron" meaning tree. Clerodendrum species had cultural and medicinal significance in many areas where they were grown. The species name thomsoniae honors the first wife of physician-missionary William Cooper Thomson, who spent years in Nigeria and was credited with first documenting the plant.