Hello,

I have what I believe to be a bleeding heart bush, and it is growing rather oddly. It started this spring with straight stems and looked very robust and healthy. As the plant got bigger, the stems began to grow at odd angles and at one point were laying on the ground. I thought the plant was going to die but it seems like it might live. Included are pictures of the curved stems and what it looks like today. Can anyone tell me what might be wrong with it? Thank you.

Possible to little or to much water.
Did you get a cold streak, frost, or sudden change in weather ?

Have any herbicides been used nearby?

sooby said:Have any herbicides been used nearby?

1st thing I thought of also. Or did you fertilize it?

I sprayed a broad leaf killer in the grass about a month ago. Have not fertilized. And as far as water goes, it gets water from the sprinklers every night. How much water is needed? The plants around it don't seem to be bothered by the amount of water...

My suspicion is that it got a bit of herbicide drift, which would explain the curling and distortion.

sooby said:My suspicion is that it got a bit of herbicide drift, which would explain the curling and distortion.

Very possible. It may or may not survive. If it survives it should be fine next year. I wouldn't let it discourage me from using herbicides where needed though. Just be more careful in future.

I had a bleeding heart that was floppy, but not kinky, so the following year I put a wire hanging basket (with large spaces) over the clump and the branches that grew through had that tiny bit of support around the bottom. It looked just that bit better and allowed a bit of space around the bottom.