How to Grow and Care for Bleeding Heart Vine (Glory Bower)

If you have a shady landscape you may be familiar with pendulous spring-flowering bleeding heart plants. Despite their similar name, bleeding heart plants (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) are not the same as bleeding heart vines (Clerodendrum thomsoniae), also known as glory bower plant. There are hundreds of glory bower plants, ranging from vines and shrubs to herbs. Bleeding heart vine is a tender, fast-growing tropical climbing vine that resembles the herbaceous perennial bleeding heart in appearance but shares no other characteristics. It produces big clusters of showy flowers and has glossy, dark-green, oval leaves. It is best planted in the spring and flowers during the summer on new growth.

Glory Bower Care

Glory bower plants are in the same family as mint plants. This West African native can reach about three feet in containers ​but can climb to 15 feet when given a permanent spot in the ground in tropical zones. The vines spread from three to five feet and climb by twining.

Treat this vine as a tender perennial and keep it on display during the growing season of March through October. Find an out-of-the-way spot to allow the plant its dormancy when it will look a bit too ratty for a sunny living room window. 

If you grow bleeding heart vine outdoors, consider planting it in the ground or in a container at the base of something it can cling to, like your mailbox, or give the vine a trellis to cling to.

Light

The vines produce the most blossoms in bright light, so keep the plant in a south-facing window if grown indoors. Gardeners in USDA growing zones 9-11 can grow bleeding heart vine outdoors in a partially sunny area without protection, and in cooler climates, grow the vine outside during summer and bring it indoors before first frost.

Soil

Bleeding heart vine demands moist, well-draining soil; never let the soil get soggy. It can tolerate many kinds of soil, like loamy or sandy soil, as long as it's enriched with organic material.

Water

The vines are also very thirsty, and you must never allow them to dry out during the active growing season. They need at least one inch of water per week. A fully grown Clerodendrum thomsoniae vine can drink up to 3 gallons of water weekly. If your home is dry, mist to keep the plant healthy. The bleeding heart vine will only need watering about twice a month during winter. 

Temperature and Humidity

Its most ideal indoor temperatures are in the 55 F to 75 F range. In temperatures lower than 45 F, the plant can get damaged. However, it often regrows from the roots in spring. This plant prefers a minimum humidity of 50% or higher; however, it will tolerate lower levels without harm. This tropical plant will thrive outdoors in summer's warm temperatures.

Fertilizer

To kick start its growing season after a period of dormancy, feed the plant with a balanced fertilizer or 5-10-5 fertilizer. If using liquid fertilizer, keep feeding it every two weeks. If giving granulated fertilizer, provide the plant 1/4 cup of fertilizer every six weeks during the growing season. This plant also appreciates supplemental calcium: add garden lime to the soil. Stop giving fertilizer about one month before the dormant period and during the winter season.

Types of Glory Bower

There are more than 400 types of glory bower or bag flower plants. Clerodendrum thomsoniae is named in honor of the 19th-century head of the Calcutta Botanic Garden, Thomas Thompson.

• Red Clerodendrum, Flaming Glorybower (Clerodendrum splendens): Evergreen vine; grows to 30 feet; large clusters of brilliant red flowers bloom profusely during winter
• Clerodendrum Vine (Clerodendrum x Speciosum): Evergreen shrubby vine; hybrid between Clerodendrum splendens and Clerodendrum thomsoniae; grows to 30 feet; blooms in winter and spring; features bicolored flowers with a dull pink or red calyx surrounding a short tube in deep crimson shaded with violet
• Shooting Star (Clerodendrum quadriloculare): Evergreen shrub; grows to 15 feet tall; clusters of fragrant pink flowers in fall and spring enhance the deep purple of the leaf undersides
• Harlequin Glorybower (Clerodendrum trichotomum): Deciduous shrub; grows about 15 feet tall and can be trained into a tree form; has fragrant blossoms with a white tube and fleshy red calyx; produces turquoise-colored fruit
  

Pruning

Bleeding heart vine benefits from hard pruning to keep it full and bushy and an ideal size. Prune away your clerodendrum dead wood in late winter before new growth appears. Cut back all the stems to about 12 inches. Blooms occur on new growth, so wait until the plant is done flowering before pruning vines. You can do minor shape-trimming anytime. It can also be pinched back into a shrub-like form or left to be a mound. 

Propagating Bleeding Heart Vine

Bleeding heart vine can best be propagated by stem cuttings and grown by seed; here's how:

To propagate via stem cutting:

1. You will need sterilized pruning snips, moistened potting soil or sand, a potting container, and, optionally, a clear jar of water.
2. Clip a 3- to 4-inch semi-ripe stem cutting, making a straight cut just below a leaf node. Keep the top three leaves; pull off the rest.
3. Place the cut end in water or plant it in a pot of moistened soil. Put it on a sunny window sill or a heated surface, such as a heating pad.
4. For the plant in water: Replenish the water in the jar as it evaporates every few days. Roots should appear in about two weeks. Once you see roots, replant it in moistened soil; keep it in a sunny window.
5. For the planted cutting: Mist the plant daily. Do not let the soil dry out. Roots should appear in four to six weeks. You'll know by seeing new growth appear, or if you gently tug the stem, you should feel tension. Don't pull hard, or else you might damage the new roots.  
   

How to Grow Bleeding Heart Vine From Seed

Pollinated flowers develop green fruits that turn red and then black as they ripen. The four black seeds that grow within each fruit can be used for propagation. You can also plant seeds in spring when temperatures are between 55 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Germination is slow, usually taking six to eight weeks, although it may begin within 20 days under the best conditions.

To give the seed the best chance of germination, nick the seed and soak the seeds for a day to penetrate the thick outer layer. Place the seed on top of a mixture of peat moss and vermiculite or sand and tamp it down with a finger. Thinly cover the seed with soil (just barely). Place it in a sunny spot with bright light. Keep the plant warm with bottom heat and keep the soil moist but not soggy. Transfer the seedling to individual pots when they are are large enough to handle (at least 1-inch high) and have two sets of true leaves.

Potting and Repotting Bleeding Heart Vine

The best time for the glory bower transplantation is in the dormant period before the spring growing season starts or when the plant has outgrown its current pot.

These plants prefer to be slightly rootbound to produce many flowers; however, it's time to repot if roots grow out of the drainage holes or appear above the soil line. Ensure the new pot contains several drainage holes to avoid waterlogging and prevent root rot. Repot the plant in a pot that is one size larger than its old pot.

Overwintering

If you live in a region that gets freezing winters, then move your glory bower indoors to grow as a houseplant.

In its native habitat, the vine goes through a dormant period in the winter and will naturally die back as the weather cools. Keep the plant in a cool room out of direct sunlight from mid-November to mid-February. Withhold water until the new growth starts and only water when the soil is dry. Expect that the vine will lose some leaves. At the end of winter, prune the vine back to 12 inches. Move the plant to a bright window, and keep the soil evenly moist—kickstart growth with fertilizer. Repeat every year.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Botrytis blight is a fungal disease that may affect bleeding heart vines. You can prevent fungal infection by keeping the vine in an area with good air circulation with a fan or a window breeze. If you choose to propagate this vine from cuttings, always use sterile potting soil to deny fungal spores the chance to grow.

Bleeding heart vine has few pests, but mealybugs and spider mites will ravage a bleeding heart vine if given the opportunity. Mealybugs leave behind white tufts on stems and leaves. A sign of spider mites is silk webbing on the plants. Apply a natural insecticide like organic Neem oil or wash the plant with soapy water to get rid of both. Reapply the spray every seven to ten days or until the insects are eliminated. 

When grown indoors, glasshouse whiteflies can become a nuisance. To give your plant the best chance of success against any pests, keep them well-watered, fertilized, in well-drained soil, and give them adequate sun. White oil (mineral oil) helps eradicate whitefly infestations.

How to Get Bleeding Heart Vine to Bloom

The flowers of the bleeding heart vine are a showstopper. They typically grow on thin, wiry stalks in spring, summer, or early fall. They usually grow in terminal clusters of 8 to 20 flowers with 1/2-inch flowers. The common name “bag flower” alludes to the shape of the white calyxes, which hold a red surprise inside as the inner red corollas emerge. The vines are a rich source of nectar and will attract butterflies outdoors. The delicate panicles are lightly scented and are not overly fragrant. If pollinated, the flowers will produce fruits.

To ensure blooming, feed regularly every six weeks. Use a fertilizer with added calcium or give the plant organic calcium supplements to encourage flowering. To encourage more blooms, cut the stems back to within an inch of the ground after the first blooms slow down to possibly force a second bloom. You do not need to deadhead if you prune after the first bloom period.

The blossom count of bleeding heart vine flowers slows down as fall approaches. The climbing plant may not flower if it doesn’t receive adequate light daily. Bleeding heart vines bloom best when they are slightly pot-bound. 

Common Problems With Bleeding Heart Vine

Generally, clerodendrum plants are not fussy about their soil; as long as they regularly get fertilizer, they will thrive.

Discoloration on Leaves

If a plant gets too much sunlight or not enough water, it may develop scorching or discolored patches on its leaves. Move the plant into the shade or give it more water.

Webbing or White Patches on Leaves

Silky webbing or white patches on leaves or stems can signify a spider mite or mealybug infestation. These plants become susceptible to spider mites if humidity is too low. Use an insecticidal soap or neem oil to remove the insects and keep them away with weekly application. Spray or mist the plant with water daily to keep it adequately moist.

Yellowing Leaves

Yellowing leaves might indicate that your plant is getting too much or too little water. If the temperature has been overly hot, your plant likely needs more water. If the leaf gets yellow dots or a yellowing spreading over it, it's probably caused by chlorosis.

Chlorosis is caused by a lack of chlorophyll, which can be caused by poor drainage, damaged roots, compacted roots, high alkalinity, and nutrient deficiencies in the plant. Depending on the leaves that get this condition first, it can indicate what nutrient is missing from the plant. Supplement with iron (blood meal) if the yellow appears first on younger or terminal leaves or give manganese and zinc (bone meal) if the yellowing appears on older, inner leaves first.