Ehrendorferia

( eh - ren - dor - FAIR - ee - ah )

At-A-Glance Information

This small genus of flowering herbaceous plants is commonly called Eardrops, and is native to California in the western United States and Baja California, Mexico. These plants produce yellow or white flowers and grow from taproot, reaching about 3-5 feet tall at maturity. Flowers will attract pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden with their sweet nectar. Use these plants in native, wildflower, informal, or pollinator gardens in mixed beds or borders. Take care when adding these flowers to the landscape, as all plant parts are toxic to humans and pets if ingested.

Ehrendorferia Species and Varietals

The genus Ehrendorferia is a member of the plant family Papaveraceae, and includes just two species. Ehrendorferia is named after Austrian botanist Friedrich Ehrendorfer in celebration of his 70th birthday. The best growing zones for Ehrendorferia vary depending on the species. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Ehrendorferia chrysantha (Dicentra chrysantha) (Golden Eardrops)
This biennial to perennial species is nativ to dry, brushy shrubland areas prone to wildfires in California and Baja California, Mexico. It grows from a taproot, and produces blue-green foliage. Flowers are golden-yellow and aromatic. At maturity when in bloom, these plants can reach up to just under 5 feet tall.

Ehrendorferia ochroleuca (Dicentra ochroleuca) (White Eardrops, Yellow Bleeding Heart, Fire Heart)
This biennial to perennial species is native to gravelly soils in chaparral and woodland landscapes in California and Baja California, Mexico. Stems and leaves are blue-green, and individual plants reach up to between 3.3 and 6.6 feet tall when mature and in bloom (exceptionally to 13 feet tall). Leaves are divided and almost fern-like, and flowers are dull white with purple tips. They are odorless, but hummingbirds are drawn to their nectar.

Caring for Ehrendorferia

Ehrendorferia, or Golden Eardrops plants, prefer a space in the garden that receives full sun. Ideally, they should receive between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day. If they are being grown in a warmer climate, ensure that they get some afternoon shade when temperatures are at their peak. They do not do well in hot, dry, intense sun conditions. Ehrendorferia need light, moist, porous soil, and should never be left to stand in water. They prefer a soil that is well-draining, moderately fertile, and that has a pH of between 6.0 and 6.5 (slightly acidic). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Mulch around the base of plants to suppress weed growth, increase soil moisture retention, and insulate roots from temperature fluctuations.

Water recently planted Ehrendorferias regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity these plants are drought-tolerant, able to get by on rainwater alone for much of the year with supplemental irrigation during extended periods of dry, warm weather. As a general rule of thumb, deep water when the soil has dried out completelys. Each year in springtime, apply a 2-inch layer of organic compost around the planting area to improve soil structure, drainage, and nutrient load. This feeding should be sufficient to provide these flowers with enough nutrients to get through their growth and flowering seasons with ease. These are annual or biennial plants that will need to be replaced every one to two years; they re-seed freely in the landscape, however, providing free new plants indefinitely.

Propagation

Ehrendorferia can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Eardrops plant, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Ehrendorferia by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. A good substrate for propagation of cuttings is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 3-4 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new flower.

Propagating Ehrendorferia by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on Ehrendorferia plants are pretty easy to find, they're left behind after flowers have faded and look like tiny green pea pods. Once they have dried out, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside, or they can be manually opened. Once seeds have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray on the soil surface and cover them with a light layer of soil. Water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes around 2-4 weeks from sowing.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.