Dicentra eximia
(Ker Gawl.) Torr.
(c) kbarylski, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Shawn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shawn
(c) Rose Roberts, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rose Roberts
What to Eat
No edible uses are known for this plant.
How to Identify
A perennial groundcover reaching 0.4 m tall and wide at medium growth rate. Hardy to UK zone 4. Produces deeply cut, fern-like foliage that persists through winter unlike common bleeding heart. Heart-shaped flowers in shades of pink and white bloom via pollination by birds, bees, and insects. Grows in full to semi-shade in light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with preference for well-drained, moist conditions. Tolerates poor soil and mildly acid to neutral pH.
How to Grow
Propagation: No propagation information is available for this plant.
Medicinal Uses
No medicinal uses are known for this plant.
Other Uses
Forms a medium-density groundcover suitable for shade and semi-shade, though it colonises very slowly via rhizomes. Its nectar attracts hummingbirds, and it provides cover for small wildlife. It also attracts beneficial insects. Good companion plants include Jacob's Ladder and Wild Columbine. The deeply cut, fern-like foliage remains through the season without dying back as common bleeding heart does, and the pink-to-white, heart-shaped flowers make it a valued ornamental. Suitable for food forest and ground cover plantings; flowers can be used as cut flowers.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Dicentra eximia (wild or fringed bleeding-heart, turkey-corn) is a flowering plant with fernlike leaves and oddly shaped flowers native to the Appalachian Mountains. It is similar to the Pacific bleeding-heart (Dicentra formosa), which grows on the Pacific Coast. Dicentra eximia is a perennial herb in the Papaveraceae family.
Names & Synonyms
References (1)
- Jackes, D. A., Edible Forest Gardens
