Bleeding Hearts or Breeches: Dicentra is Delectable!

While I've never seen it in the flesh, so to speak, the vining Dicentra, D. macrocapnos, is on my must-have list. Debra Teachout-Teashon describes hers as having outstanding foliage and growing 15 feet tall, twining up her shed posts. It has yellow hearts and white oval fruit.

Another unusual Dicentra you may want to track down is D. Spectablis 'Gold Heart'. Dirk van der Werff, of Plants Magazine, describes its foliage as "a flame colour on new growth in spring, and deep pink flowers . It gradually turns a bright golden yellow , until summer when it becomes lime green."

Terra Nova Nurseries, in Oregon, a nursery famed for their tissue culture production of new perennials, is introducing a new Dicentra this year called 'King of Hearts'. They describe their new hybrid as combining "the largest darkest rose flowers with the most sumptuous, lacy, "beyond blue" foliage. Judging from the picture, this is another Dicentra that I'm going to have to have! If you find any retail sources for this one, do let me know.

In the meantime, I'm anxiously checking my perennial beds, waiting to see my Dicentras come back from their long sleep and start growing again. And waiting for my local nurseries to reopen for the season. I'm sure at least one of them will have a variety of Dicentra that I won't be able to resist. Dicentra's graceful, nodding stems of perfect heart-shaped flowers have long since worked their way into my heart.

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