Bleeding hearts (© Dorene Hookey/Cavan Images)

At first glance, it looks like a love story that went a little too far. Pink hearts dangle from curved stems, each with a tiny white drop at the tip, as if the plant is mid-sigh. Meet the bleeding heart—proof that flowers can be dramatic without saying a word. Formally known as Dicentra spectabilis, it is a spring-flowering perennial native to eastern Asia. It can grow up to 60 centimetres tall and spread to nearly 75 centimetres wide, creating a graceful, almost poetic display.