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, Sep 248 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Sep 258 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Sep 268 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.
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