It produces big clusters of showy flowers with glossy, dark-green, oval leaves.
Soil
Bleeding heart vine demands moist, well-draining soil; never let the soil get soggy.
They need at least one inch of water per week.
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A fully grownClerodendrum thomsoniaevine 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 twice a month during winter.
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Temperature and Humidity
Its 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.
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This tropical plant will thrive outdoors in summer’s warm temperatures.
If using liquid fertilizer, keep feeding it every two weeks.
This plant also appreciates supplemental calcium: add garden lime to the soil.
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Stop giving fertilizer about one month before the dormant period and during the winter season.
Prune away your clerodendrum dead wood in late winter before new growth appears.
Cut back all the stems to about 12 inches.
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Blooms occur on new growth, so wait until the plant is done flowering before pruning vines.
you’re able to do minor shape-trimming anytime.
It can also be pinched back into a shrub-like form or left to be a mound.
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The four black seeds that grow within each fruit can be used for propagation.
you might also plant seeds in spring when temperatures are between 55 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ensure the new pot contains several drainage holes to avoid waterlogging and prevent root rot.
Repot the plant in a pot one size larger than its old pot.
The vines spread from three to five feet and climb by twining.
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 moistkickstart growth with fertilizer.
Mealybugs leave behind white tufts on stems and leaves.
A sign of spider mites is silk webbing on the plants.
Apply a natural insecticide likeorganic neem oilor wash the plant with soapy water to remove both.
Reapply the spray every seven to ten days or until the insects are eliminated.
When grown indoors, glasshouse whiteflies can become a nuisance.
White oil (mineral oil) helps eradicate whitefly infestations.
Botrytis blightis a fungal disease that may affect bleeding heart vines.
They typically grow on thin, wiry stalks in late spring, summer, or early fall.
How Long Does Bleeding Heart Vine Bloom?
Bleeding heart vine blooms for about 4-6 weeks.
The blossom count of bleeding heartvine flowersslows down as fall approaches.
The climbing plant may not flower if it doesnt receive adequate light daily.
Bleeding heart vines bloom best when they are slightly pot-bound.
What Do Bleeding Heart Vine Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Bleeding heart vine grows in terminal clusters of 8 to 20 flowers with 1/2-inch flowers.
The plant’s vines are a rich source of nectar and willattract butterfliesoutdoors.
The delicate panicles are lightly scented and are not overly fragrant.
If pollinated, the flowers will produce fruits.
How to Encourage More Blooms
To ensure blooming, feed regularly every six weeks.
Use a fertilizer with added calcium or give the plant organic calcium supplements to encourage flowering.
Move the plant into the shade or give it more water.
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 resulting from chlorosis.
However, it’s possible for you to prune it to be a shrub or mound.
The vines also respond well tohanging baskets, draping attractively over the sides.
It is not invasive.
This plant (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)is commonly confused or mistakenly identified as a bleeding heart plant.
Both plants look like they have droplets falling from a heart-shaped calyx.
Acute and subacute toxicity assessment of ethyl acetate extracts from aerial parts of clerodendrum thomsoniae balf.
F in rodents.Biointerface Res Appl Chem.
2021;11(6):13952-13961.
