This short lived large shrub to small tree has reddish stems that exudes a white sap and forms a bushy rounded habit. It has light green heart-shaped leaves that turn red and the terminal yellow-green flowers appear in a nodding raceme in early summer.

Hardiness zones 9 to 11

Omalanthus nutans is naturally found in Australia growing on the east coast along water courses or in forest margins.

It tolerates most well drained moderately fertile moist soils and prefers an open to protected sunny or shaded position and is drought tolerant but frost tender.

Bleeding Hart is grown for its foliage and its rapid growth. It is planted along borders as a quick screen in small gardens or used around water features for a rainforest effect. It is also planted in bushland regeneration areas or grown in woodland and rainforest fringes but is also commonly self-seeds in urban areas. It will establish in 1 to 2 years but is short lived.ID 976

Note:
This plant is a pioneer and will colonise open or damaged bushland by self-seeding freely. Fire kills the plant but the seeds regenerate the species. Some gardeners feel that it is a weed especially in urban gardens and the early western settlers used the leaves to help control bleeding.

Omalanthus(om-a-LAN-thuz) nutans(new-TAN-s)

Euphorbiaceae(yoo-for-bee-AY-see-ee)
Spurge Family