plant pick

Bleeding heart vine Clerodendrum thomsoniae

Some catalogs call this plant glory bower, but bleeding heart vine is a much better description for the red flowers that peep out of puffy white calyxes.

Where it’s cold hardy, this is a bushy, evergreen vine. But it’s often sold as a house plant, although it does prefer to be outside during the summer. In cooler areas, it stays 3 to 5 ft. tall, so it’s great in a container.

During the summer, bleeding heart vine likes consistent moisture, but don’t let the plant sit in water. A balanced fertilizer (like 10-10-10) once a month will keep this vine going strong.

TYPE Tender perennial SIZE 3 to 15 ft. long BLOOM White and red in mid- to late summer LIGHT Full sun to part shade SOIL Well-drained PESTS None serious HARDINESS Cold: USDA zones 10 to 12; Heat: AHS zones 12 to 1