Dicentra

( dye - SENT - ruh )

At-A-Glance Information

Commonly referred to as Bleeding Hearts, these flowering herbaceous perennials need partial or full shade and regular water. Their flowers will attract birds and butterflies to your garden, and most species are native to North America and northeastern areas of Asia. They are delicate-looking plants with graceful, very divided foliage. Unique flowers are shaped like hearts and hang from horizontal, arching, leafless stems. Blooms can come in pink, rose, yellow or white. Dicentra are fantastic shade-loving plants perfect for cottage, woodland, shade and wildflower gardens, and also do well in mixed beds and in containers (including hanging baskets). Take care when planting Dicentra in your garden, as all plant parts are poisonous if ingested by humans or pets.

Dicentra Species and Varietals

Dicentra includes just 8 species and is a member of the plant family Papaveraceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words for twice (dis) and spur (kentron), referring to the unique spurs on flowers. Dicentra grows best in zones 1-9 and 14-24, though this varies somewhat by species. See the descriptions below for more information. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Dicentra canadensis (Squirrel Corn)
This North American native species produces odd-shaped fragrant white flowers that bloom in spring. Squirrel Corn plants go dormant in the summer months, and foliage is blue-green and deeply divided.

Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman's Britches, Dutchman's Breeches)
Native to eastern North America and the Pacific Northwest, this species produces white flowers sometimes blushed with pink. Blooms are not fragrant in this species. Foliage is blue-green and divided.

Dicentra eximia (Fringed Bleeding Heart, Turkey Corn, Wild Bleeding Heart)
These are native to the north-eastern United States, and form clumps 1.5 feet high and just as wide. Leaves are blue-grey and flowers are a deep rosey-pink. Blooms from the middle of spring into summertime. Can be cut back for a repeat bloom. Can self-sow.
Dicentra formosa (Western Bleeding Heart, Pacific Bleeding Heart)
This plant is native to woodlands along the Pacific Coastline, and gets to 1.5 feet tall and 3 or more feet wide. Foliage is bluish green, and leafless flower stalks hold pale to deep rose blooms in springtime to mid-summer. Although flowering may cease in the warmest months of the year, it typically restarts when cooler temperatures arrive in fall, as well, if conditions are right. These plants can spread freely by rhizomes. Dicentra formosa oregana reaches 1 foot tall and has silver-green leaves and creamy flowers tipped with purple. Other varieties are outlined below:
'Bacchanal'
​With finely-cut foliage and dark red flowers.
'Langtrees'
​Silvery-green foliage and blooms that are white with light pink shading.
'Zestful'
Blooms almost year-round, and has deep rose-colored flowers.
Dicentra Hybrid Varieties
These flowers are crosses between Dicentra eximia and Dicentra formosa, and are commonly cultivated species that get to about 1.5 feet tall and about 2 feet across. They bloom from spring to summer. Selections are outlined below.
'Bountiful'
Foliage is dark blue-green and flowers are purple-pink to dusky red.
'King of Hearts'
Blue-green foliage with rose-pink flowers. Similar varieties with different flower colors are 'Candy Hearts' (with dark pink flowers) and 'Ivory Hearts' (with white flowers).
'Luxuriant'
Best in zones A1-A3, 1-9 and 14-24, with medium-dark green leaves and red flowers.

Dicentra nevadensis (Sierra Bleeding Heart, Tulare Bleeding Heart)
Native to the Sierra Nevadas in Tulare and Fresno counties in California. This species has heart-shaped dull white, pink or yellow-brown flowers that turn to black when dry. Blooms are most profuse from Julne through August.

Dicentra pauciflora (Shorthorn Steer's Head, Few-Flowered Bleeding Heart)
This perennial species is native to Oregon and California, and in springtime produces inflorescences of between one and three pink, white or purple flowers. 

Dicentra peregrina (Komakusa)
These plants are native to Japan and nearby areas in east Asia. The specific epithet peregrina means 'exotic, alien, strange, or from foreign lands', in Latin. This plant forms a basal tuft of grey-green foliage and reaches a few inches tall when in bloom. Flowers are rose-purple, white, creamy-yellow or pink, blooming from spring to summer.

Dicentra uniflora (Longhorn Steer's Head)
These plants are native to gravelly soils in the mountainous areas of the western United States, and reach up to 4 inches tall when in bloom. Flowers are pink to white, blooming from February through June. Leaves are finely divided. These flowers have long, recurved outer parts that make the individual flowers look like the skull of a steer, hence the common name Longhorn Steer's Head.

Caring for Dicentra

Dicentra, or Bleeding Heart plants, can be grown either in the ground or in containers, and can be grown from seed or transplanted into the garden. They enjoy being grown in woodland environments and prefer partial to full shade. Ideally, they should receive indirect sunlight during the day or morning sun. They do not do well in hot, dry, intense sun conditions. Dicentra 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 environmental temperature fluctuations.

Water newly planted Dicentras regularly as they establish a strong root system. At maturity these plants appreciate consistent irrigations, enough to keep soil moist but not soggy. As a general rule of thumb, apply water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. 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.  Foliage will die back even in mild-winter climates, but plants will re-emerge come springtime. 

Propagation

Dicentra 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 Bleeding Heart plant, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Dicentra by Cutting
  1. 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. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. 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 Dicentra by Seed
  1. 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. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows. 
  2. Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on Dicentra 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.
  3. 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. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
  4. 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.
Dicentra produces seed pods that hang down from branches, present on plants when flowers have faded.
Dicentra seeds inside opened pods.

Problems and Pests

Dicentra plants are susceptible to developing issues with the following pests and diseases in the landscape:
  • Slugs and Snails
  • Aphids
  • Root Rot
  • Verticillium Wilt
  • Rust 
  • Leaf Spot
  • Downy Mildew
For more information on these pests and diseases, including how to treat and manage them, consult the following pages:
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Gallery

Bleeding Heart plants can be grown in the ground, in containers, or in hanging baskets.
Dicentra appreciates some shade during the day.
These plants typically grow in moist woodland environments.
Dicentra plants can add interest to mixed beds and borders.
There are many different flower colors to choose from when planting Dicentra, including white.
Plant Dicentra along shady walkways, where flowers can be on full display.

Videos

How to grow Dicentra from cuttings.
How to grow and care for Bleeding Heart plants.

Resources

Bleeding Heart Flower - Planting, Growing and Care Guide
How to Grow Dicentra (Bleeding Heart Plant Care)
Bleeding Heart Flower Care - How to Grow Bleeding Hearts
Tips for Bleeding Heart Pruning - How to Prune a Bleeding Heart Plant
How to Plant, Grow and Care for Bleeding Hearts
Wikipedia: Dicentra
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 287, Dicentra
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or photos you’d like to add to the gallery, please let me know by sending me a message using the button below!
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