I came upon Dicentra eximia by ways of its more showy non-native cousin (Dicentra spectabilis), which I have seen in various Cape Cod shade gardens. I have a few myself, as a matter of fact. Wild bleeding heart has smaller red to pink flowers, and leaves that are quite beautiful – the plant is also known as fringed bleeding heart. I added Dicentra eximia because his plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
You can easily propage this plant by dividing the rootball and transplanting parts to other areas. Or you can wait for the seed pods to dry on the plant. You may want to bag the pods, so they don’t disperse while you are not paying attention, or not present.
Beauty can be dangerous – as with all members of the Dicentra family, wild bleeding heart is poisonous, and even handling the plant can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions. Ingesting any part of the plant is ill-advised. It will kill small mammals and rodents.
Dicentra eximia May 8 2011
| Scientific name: | Dicentra eximia |
| Common name: | wild bleeding heart |
| Other name: | turkey corn, fringed bleeding heart |
| Bloom time: | mid spring to mid summer – blooms repeatedly |
| Color: | pink to red |
| Light requirements: | sun to partial shade |
| Zone: | 3 to 9 |
| Soil: | acidic to neutral |
| Water: | moist |
| Origin: | eastern North America |
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