Dicentra eximia (25) plants
a/k/a Bleeding Heart- Fringed
Zones 3 to 9; Part shade to full shade. Mature size 15 inch height, spreads 12 to 18 inches.
Clusters of small rose-pink buds open to reveal pale pink, heart-shaped blossoms above the ferny, grey-green foliage. Foliage does not go summer dormant if given adequate moisture. Dicentra eximia is everblooming, flowering most freely in spring and continuing throughout the summer and into fall.
Native to Eastern North America, Dicentra eximia is the most heat tolerant member of the Dicentra family, which makes it an excellent choice for southern gardens. Unlike the Common Bleeding Heart, D. eximia will not go dormant in midsummer as long as the soil is kept moist.
Though this species is heat tolerant, Dicentra is most at home in woodland settings. It likes rich, loose soil that is evenly moist but also well-drained. At planting time, add lots of compost, humus, or peat moss to the soil to enhance its water retention capabilities. Plants will not grow well in heavy clay soils.
Dicentra should be planted in locations that are protected from high winds and early frosts, such as the edges of woodlands or on the north or east sides of buildings. This species self-seeds readily, and the resulting seedlings are easy to transplant.
Use this long bloomer as border plants, containers, for cut flowers, for edging, and in mass plantings. |