Dicentra eximia
An eastern U.S. native perennial with fernlike basal leaves and leafless flowering stems bearing pink to rose heart-shaped blooms from spring through fall, pollinated mainly by bumblebees, with seeds dispersed by ants, thriving in part shade with consistently moist, well-drained soil in USDA zones 3–9.
Common Names
Fringed Bleeding Heart, Wild Bleeding Heart, Turkey Corn, Fringed Bleedinghearts, Bleeding Heart, Eastern Bleeding-Heart, Staggerweed
Summary
Fringed Bleeding Heart is a native Appalachian woodland perennial with fern-like gray-green foliage and arching stems bearing heart-shaped pink flowers; it grows to about 12–18 inches tall and wide, and blooms from spring through fall in moist, well-drained soil, often in rocky mountain woods at elevations of 100–1700 m, with garden escapes reported beyond the Appalachians.
It prefers partial to full shade in rich, moist, well-drained soil and should be kept evenly moist; suitable for shaded borders, woodland gardens, and rock gardens, it can naturalize via self-seeding or crown division; it is deer- and rabbit-resistant and hardy in USDA zones 3–9; propagation can be by crown division or by seeds that require moist, cold stratification.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
12-18 inches
Spread
12-18 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3-9
Sunlight Requirements
Partial sun to full shade.
Soil Type
Moist, well-drained loamy soil with high organic matter, mildly acidic to neutral pH.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
Tolerates all pH levels
Bloom Color
Pink to deep rose-purple; occasionally white.
Bloom Time
Spring to Fall
Foliage Color
Glaucous
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Medium
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees and hummingbirds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Ker Gawl.) Torr.
- Publication
- Fl. New York 1: 46 (1843)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Ranunculales
- Family
- Papaveraceae
- Subfamily
- Fumarioideae
- Tribe
- Fumarieae
- Genus
- Dicentra
Synonyms
Bicuculla eximia Bikukulla eximia Capnorchis eximia Corydalis eximia Diclytra eximia Dielytra eximia Eucapnos eximius Fumaria eximia Fumaria formosa Capnorchis eximia