Love-Lies-Bleeding

Botanical Interests Heirloom Love-Lies-Bleeding

The dramatic, crimson tassels of love-lies-bleeding make it a unique plant, with a long history in colonial American and Victorian English gardens. Place upfront as a focal point, or in the back of a border. Tassels can reach 18 inches, last for many weeks, and are excellent for fresh or dried flower arrangements. Also called tassel flower.

Sowing Information:

• Light: Full sun
• When to Start Inside: 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost date. Sow in biodegradable pots that can be directly planted in the ground; roots are sensitive to disturbance.
• When to Sow Outside: 1 to 2 weeks after your average last frost date.
• Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
• Seed Spacing: A pinch (approx. 8 seeds) every 18–24 inches
• Thinning: When 1–2 inches tall, thin to 1 every 18–24 inches
• Days to Emerge: 7–14 days

Growing Notes:

• Harvesting: For the longest vase life, harvest in the morning, choosing stems with 1/2-3/4 of the flowers open. Pick for dried use when the seed has begun to set and the flowers are firm to the touch. Stand the cut stems in a dry vase in a warm, dry, dark area for at least 10 days.
• Hardiness: Annual
• Variety Information: Each cascading red tassel (up to 18 inches long) is a colony of tiny, tightly packed flowers against dark green leaves.
• Bloom Period: Summer to frost
• Attributes: Cut flower