Plant Taxonomy of Fringed Bleeding Hearts:
Plant taxonomy classifies fringed bleeding heart plants as Dicentra eximia. 'Alba' is a white-blooming cultivar of this wildflower.
Plant Type for Dicentra Eximia:
Fringed bleeding heart plants are herbaceous perennials.
Characteristics of Dicentra Eximia:
Fringed bleeding heart plants reach a height of 12-18 inches with a similar spread. In addition to their romantically-shaped flowers, which first come out in spring, these perennials are valued for their grey-green, deeply dissected leaves. They bear several drooping flowers along a leafless stem. The flower color is commonly pink or reddish purple.
Planting Zones for Fringed Bleeding Hearts:
Indigenous to eastern North America, Dicentra eximia can be grown in planting zones 3-9.
Sun and Soil Requirements for Fringed Bleeding Hearts:
Plant in shade to partial shade. Dicentra eximia grows best in moist but well-drained ground. Furnish this perennial with a liberal dose of humus for optimal growth.
Uses for Dicentra Eximia:
The fact that fringed bleeding heart plants are sometimes found in rocky soils in their native habitat suggests usage in rock gardens. However, they are not as drought-tolerant as many perennials used in the rockery. Shade-loving and capable of naturalizing, they're also an obvious candidate for woodland gardens and shade gardens. They can spread both by reseeding and via rhizomes.
Wildlife Attracted by Dicentra Eximia:
Fringed bleeding hearts attract hummingbirds. Since they are poisonous plants if ingested, it is not surprising that they are also deer-resistant plants.
Care for Fringed Bleeding Hearts:
Divide these perennials in spring, every few years, to ensure vitality. Apply mulch to minimize competition from weeds. Deadhead to promote reblooming.
Outstanding Features of Fringed Bleeding Hearts:
The fringed, fern-like appearance of the foliage is the reason that some gardeners prefer Dicentra eximia to the showier and more widely grown bleeding hearts, D. spectabilis. The leaves are not only attractive but also persist through the summer heat, unlike those of D. spectabilis.
Whoever named these plants evidently thought very highly of them, as the specific epithet eximia means "distinguished" in Latin. When the Romans were preparing for an animal sacrifice and found a "choice" victim, that animal was called eximia (or eximius, if the animal was male).
Similar Perennials:
Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) bears white flowers that truly do remind one of pairs of pants hung out to dry. Squirrel corn (D. canadensis), like Dutchman's breeches, has white flowers, but they assume a shape more like that of Dicentra eximia and D. spectabilis.
