Wild Fringed Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Pink-purple hearts bloom from spring to frost over fern-like blue-green foliage, no summer dormancy. A favorite of hummingbirds and bumblebees.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The only truly continuous-blooming native shade perennial in our catalog. pink heart-shaped flowers from April through October is a claim almost nothing else can make.
Wild bleeding heart is one of those Appalachian perennials that blooms continuously from spring through the first frost, an unusually long season for any shade plant. The nodding pink-purple heart-shaped flowers hang in arching clusters above the finely divided, blue-green foliage. Unlike the Asian bleeding heart, which goes dormant in summer heat, this native keeps growing and flowering through the entire season without skipping a beat. The fern-like foliage stays attractive all season in shade gardens and woodland borders. Hummingbirds and long-tongued bumblebees are the primary pollinators. It self-seeds modestly to naturalize in the right conditions without becoming weedy.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown wild fringed bleeding heart propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
Plant wild fringed bleeding heart instead of Asian bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis). Same job in the garden, without the spread.
- Sun
- Part shade
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 9"–1.5' · 12–24 in wide
- Bloom time
- Early spring
- Bloom color
- Pink, Purple
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Papaveraceae
- Native range
- Appalachian Mountains
Care notes for wild fringed bleeding heart.
Part shade to full shade in average to moist, well-drained, humus-rich soil. Consistent moisture extends the bloom season. Cut back lightly after bloom flushes to encourage continuous flowering. Self-seeds gently; remove seedlings if spread is unwanted. No serious pests; slugs may be an issue in very wet conditions.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside wild fringed bleeding heart.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.