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Bleeding Hearts or Breeches: Dicentra is Delectable!

© Susan Ward

Dicentra is one of the most beautiful of perennials, with its fern-like foliage and delicate arching sprays of heart-shaped flowers. It's the unique flowers which give the plant its common names, Bleeding Heart and Dutchman's Breeches. 'Bleeding Heart' is an obvious name choice whenever I see one in bloom, but I have a lot harder time seeing the flowers as upside down pants (breeches). No matter what you call it, once the Bleeding Heart was introduced to England in 1840's from Japan by the famous plant explorer, Robert Fortune, it quickly became a popular garden plant. All Dicentra need moist, well-drained soil, and are a stunning accompaniment to spring bulbs, ferns, hostas, pulmonarias, primroses, anemones, and astilbes.

Dicentra spectabilis, the common bleeding heart, grows 30 inches tall and spreads equally as wide. It's hardy zones 2- 9 , so can be enjoyed in almost all B.C. gardens. It has the largest leaves of any of the Dicentras and has the classic pink and white flowers that always make me think of Valentine's Day. A lightly shaded spot in light soil is best; it can also be sited in the sun, as long as its water requirements are met. It blooms in late spring (May through June, typically), and then often dies back in high summer and disappears. It is possible, however, to keep the plant green until fall by giving it ample water and using a summer mulch to help conserve moisture. I never bother with this myself, finding Dicentra's disappearing act one of its charms. (Another charming thing about D. spectabilis is that it's easily forced in pots, so you can enjoy it indoors, too, if you wish.)

A white form of D. spectabilis is also readily available. Debra Teachout-Teashon has lovely photos and culture details of Dicentra spectabilis f. alba at her Two Rainy Side Gardeners site.

D. eximia, the Fringed Bleeding Heart, has wonderful lacy foliage and a long blooming period. Typically this Dicentra has the classic pink, heart-shaped flowers, but Blooms of Bressingham has introduced a variety called 'Snowflakes', which as its name implies, bears elegant white hearts. It's also more compact than most Dicentras, growing 10 by 10 inches.

Here on Vancouver Island, Dicentra formosa grows wild, dotting the woods with pink in late spring, a gorgeous counterpoint to ferns and salmonberries. D. formosa 'Bacchanal' is a cultivated version that you may wish to add to your garden, with deep maroon coloured hearts and finely cut gray-green leaves. Like the wild version, it does best in a woodland setting. D. formosa ' Luxuriant' has cherry red flowers and blue green foliage, and grows to 80 cm tall.

The copyright of the article Bleeding Hearts or Breeches: Dicentra is Delectable! in Gardening in B.C. is owned by Susan Ward. Permission to republish Bleeding Hearts or Breeches: Dicentra is Delectable! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.